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Christina Kenton

Christina Kenton first decided to make protectors for her lighters because at night, left outside, they got chilly. And in the morning, after a stay in the great outdoors, they often would no longer work. So, she built her lighters a casing to keep them warm.

But instead of a simple sleeve, she creates fanciful, hand-sewn worlds that swallow the lighters whole. For one cigarette lighter Kenton crafted a bed with pillows the pattern of a cloud-dappled sky. In it, a green fruit and a rogue flamingo watch idly by as an unexplained cavity tears through the bed "Nightmare on Elm Street" style, with a yellow hand reaching out from what's underneath. Magritte would surely appreciate the horror.

It's not too surprising that dreams are a main source of inspiration for the Vancouver-based artist. Many also contain fantastical animals -- two-headed pigs, snakes emerging from cows and horses with necks that droop down to the floor. Kenton also cites her late grandfather, surrealist painter Ladislav Guderna, as a major influence. 
Kenton starts by sewing each case by hand, then applies a paper technique to bring her three-dimensional sculptures to life. She tops them off by hand-painting the exteriors and sometimes affixing a miniature or two to the hybrid dioramas.

Christina has been creating her lighter protectors for around a decade now. Along with the common therapeutic effects of art making, Kenton also noticed the repetitive, detailed work helped soothe her chronic vertigo. 
CHRISTINA KENTON TALKS ABOUT HER PRACTICE

Affectionate Horses | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 6 x 7 x 2 ½ in. $520
Bad Balance | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 6 ½ x 3.5 x 1 in. $190
Burn Out | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 7 ½ x 7 x 3 in. $620
Composer | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 15 x 8 x 5 in. $880
Cool | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 3 x 4 x 2 ½ in. $190
Crowded Dog | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 6 x 8 x 4 in. $320
Double Goats | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 5 x 1 x 4 ½ in. $260
Gentle Dental | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 5 ½ x 4 x 3 ½ in. $400
Goats On Tabletops | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 7 ½ x 5 ½ x 3 in. $290
Great Smile | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 5 ½ x 5 x 4 ½ in. $450
Happiness | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 6 x 4 ½ x 3 in. $560
Into The Night | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 5 ½ x 7 x 4 ½ in. $360
Kid | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 8 ½ x 8 x 8 in. $845
Landline | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 6 x 10 x 4 in. $620
Last Pack | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 3 ½ x 6 x 2 ½ in. NFS
Like A Prayer | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 8 x 5 x 3 in. $310
Lonely | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 3 ¼ x 4 ½ x 3 in. $190
Long Dog | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 10 x 6 x 4 in. $420
Long Pink | Tongue Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 4 x 8 ½ x 3 in. $290
Love Above And Below | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 10 x 8 x 3 in. $390
My Condolences | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 11 x 6 ½ x 3 in. $670
OK Kitty | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 6 x 6 x 4 in. $460
Penny 2 | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 7 ½ x 3 x 2 in. $290
Puppy Love | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 5 x 2 ½ x 4 ¼ in. $280
Reincarnation | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 4 x 5 x 1 ½ in $180
Right Shoe | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 4 x 4 ¼ x 1 ¾ in. $190
Romantic Donkeys | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 7 x 1 ½ x 5 ½ in. $290
Soft Pink Baby | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 6 x 7 ½ x 4 in. $350
The Kiss | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 10 x 6 ½ x 4 in. $600
Twins | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 4 x 4 ½ x 3 in. $260
Addiction | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 8 ½ x 6 x 5 in. $550
Soft Fobia | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 8 x 12 x 10 in. $500
Sinking Feeling | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 3 ½ x 6 x 6 in. $225
Seperate Ways | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 7 x 10 x 7 ½ in. $375
Run | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 10 ½ x 9 x 5 in. SOLD
Petting | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 8 x 9 x 5 ½ in. $450
Listen And Drown | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 8 ½ x 6 x 5 in. $425
Let Fake Dogs Smoke | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 5 ½ x 9 x 6 ¾ in. $425
Torso | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 13 x 4 x 2 ½ in. $450
Venus De Milo | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 13 x 4 x 3 ½ in. $425
In Water | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 7 x 10 x 4 ½ in. $325
In My Eyes | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 4 ½ x 6 x 6 in. $250
Head Down | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 5 x 7 x 3 in. $250
Good Company | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 4 ¼ x 7 x 3 in. $220
MC Light | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 12 x 4 ½ x 5 in. $525
Death Do Us Apart | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 6 x 6 x 2 ½ in. $200
Childhood Lighter | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 12 x 7 x 4 in. $560
Consenting Rats | Canvas, acrylic, found object, cigarette lighter 5 x 6 x 2 in. $275
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