localvenom

Local Venom is the studio name of Kristina Johnson “KJ” Parish, an illustrator, book designer, and children’s book author based in Nashville, TN. Her work lives at the intersection of the beautiful and the strange, often drawing on animals, marine life, and the darker corners of the natural world.

While continuing her work in illustration and book design, Kristina created Local Venom to focus on creating functional illustrated pieces. She is most drawn to the slower, more tactile process of ceramics, where each piece begins as a hand-drawn illustration painted on functional ceramic forms she creates on a wheel or hand-builds. Once illustrated, pieces are carved and finished by hand, glazed, and fired for food safety. The process is deliberate, time-intensive, and impossible to rush, resulting in objects that are timeless, unique, and beloved by collectors.

Local Venom ceramic art pieces are not mass-produced. Every bowl, platter, or cup is a one-of-a-kind functional work of art. Alongside ceramics, the studio produces other illustrated goods, all rooted in the same distinct visual language.