{"id":399,"date":"2025-05-16T09:25:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-16T16:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/?p=399"},"modified":"2025-05-16T09:25:00","modified_gmt":"2025-05-16T16:25:00","slug":"fresh-sets-tembe-denton-hurst-celebrates-35-boundary-pushing-nail-artists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/?p=399","title":{"rendered":"Fresh Sets: Tembe Denton-Hurst Celebrates 35 Boundary-Pushing Nail Artists"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Fresh<\/p>\n

From the birth of the first modern nail parlor in 19th-century Paris to the rise of the Vietnamese nail industry in America after the fall of Saigon, nail beautification has always been connected to the world it adorns.<\/p>\n

Author Tembe Denton-Hurst<\/a> reminds us of this in her new book, Fresh Sets: Contemporary Nail Art from Around the World<\/em>. Setting the scene with her own experience of falling in love with manicures as a child in Brooklyn and a brief survey of the transformative history of nail embellishment throughout time, the book showcases 35 standout artists thriving today.<\/p>\n

\"two
Nails by Kumi. Image \u00a9 Kiel Wode. All photos courtesy of Prestel Publishing, shared with permission<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While basic sets remain timeless, there\u2019s no doubt that in the 21st century, contemporary aesthetics have flourished in a subversive, powerful way. From birthday candle pedicures and maximalist jeweled acrylics to moss-covered fingertips and sculpted claws channeling cyber sigilism, Fresh Sets <\/em>features 300 vibrant images highlighting ongoing innovations in the medium. <\/p>\n

The democratization of nail art has allowed the creative form to flourish across time and space. Extravagant designs once only seen sauntering down the catwalk, for instance, are now within reach for daily wear. The rise of nail artists has uniquely blurred this line between luxury and everyday accessory, forging paths and connecting worlds.<\/p>\n

One such artist featured in Fresh Sets<\/em> is Lauren Michelle Pires. With a methodical precision, she approaches her practice as a designer, collecting extensive archives of color combinations and references images. Once a fashion student, Pires now works with designer brands such as Loewe, Diesel, Miu Miu, and more.<\/p>\n

\u201cI view being a nail artist as a very intricate and pristine job, and I definitely try to capture beauty in my work,\u201d she explains. \u201cBut, over time, I\u2019ve really learned how to experiment more and to lean into the awkwardness of beauty.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"a
Nails by Kumi. Image \u00a9 Kiel Wode<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As the realm of nail design continues to evolve in tremendous fashion, transforming one\u2019s own fingernails as if they were ten tiny canvases\u2014each a site for creating an extension of self, asserting identity, and even signifying resistance\u2014has and always will be a deeply resonant gesture for many. As Denton-Hurst shares in the introduction, \u201clong nails have become part of me, as identifiable as the brown of my skin or my loud laugh.\u201d<\/p>\n

You can find your own copy of Fresh Sets<\/a><\/em> on Bookshop. See more from Tembe Denton-Hurst on Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"a
Nails by Iksoxo. Image \u00a9 Alona Sobolevska<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"a
Nails by Dxpper Acrylics. Image \u00a9 Black Archives<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"a
Nails and image \u00a9 Tomoya Nakagawa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"two
Nails and image \u00a9 Naomi Yasuda<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"a
Nails by Juan. Image \u00a9 Juan Alvear<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"a
Nails by Yeswhat Nails. Image \u00a9 Violetta Kurilenko<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"a
Nails and image \u00a9 Tomoya Nakagawa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"bulbous
Nails and image \u00a9 Nikki Panic<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
the cover of \"Fresh Sets: Contemporary Nail Art from Around the World\"<\/figure>\n

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member<\/a> today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Fresh Sets: Tembe Denton-Hurst Celebrates 35 Boundary-Pushing Nail Artists<\/a> appeared first on Colossal<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From the birth of the first modern nail parlor in 19th-century Paris to the rise of the Vietnamese nail industry in America after the fall of Saigon, nail beautification has…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-399","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rss"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/399","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=399"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/399\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=399"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=399"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=399"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}