The intricate, improbable

“Architectonic,” a showcase of designs by furniture maker Michael Wilson and ceramist Yassi Mazandi, opened this week at JF Chen in Los Angeles. Both artists coax improbable, intricate shapes and surfaces out of their materials. Wilson’s laminated wood constructions include two sculptural tables -- one that looks like a tarantula and another that resembles a splash of water with shark fins rising from the top. Mazandi creates ruffly porcelain pieces that sit in bronze vessels, and her classic stoneware forms are embellished with geometric reliefs that seem at once Mayan and industrial. “Architectonic” runs through May 22. 941 N. Highland Ave., Los Angeles; (323) 466-9700; www.jfchen.com.

-- David A. Keeps