A name built like its object.
AeroCherub: anatomy of a name
Aero
We spend most of our time indoors. Our experience of everyday life is largely dependent on the man-made structures, materials and objects that form our modern habitat. The story of AeroCherub's life unfolds between the walls of home (our place of sanctuary), at our work desks, restaurant tables, and within the greater infrastructure of the city.
Just like the weather, the atmosphere of the built environment has a profound effect on how we rest, think, feel, work, eat and socialize. The word Aero comes from that atmosphere.
Cherub
Spaces and objects must certainly be functional, but if they are to truly serve us, they must also attend to our bodies and emotions. At this moment, designing AeroCherub, we believe it's necessary to go beyond strict Rationalist and Modernist doctrines to resensualize the built environment with a feeling that embraces the whole human being and addresses our perception of space and all our sensory faculties. This requires slowing down the process to consider design from the perspective of human experience and sources of meaning. And so we found the second word: Cherub, an angel.
To us, good design transcends utility and aesthetics to become an emotional and social exercise: to create a framework for essential human needs of safety, identity, belonging and purpose.
Part of nature
Over thousands of years of urbanization and industrialization, we have slowly but surely separated ourselves from nature. The human race has effectively left the nest and attempted to make itself more comfortable and successful via the mass production of works of art with man-made tools and technologies. Yet despite our best efforts, we can't escape the fact that our origins are in nature. We are part of it.
We use natural marble for the base of AeroCherub, so every base has its own veining, and no AeroCherub is the same as another. Each one is unique.
Lift it once and you understand: the weight surprises you. Each piece is made to order and packed in the studio. The last step of the making is yours: you fasten the figure to the base. It takes minutes and no tools.
The language of color
Beginning at birth, an organism gifted with sight learns the language of color to interpret the environment. Color provides clues to decipher if a thing is hot or cold, safe or dangerous, edible or toxic. That is why we chose white and red as the main colors of AeroCherub, two colors that feel safe in any room.
Over time, we want the color of AeroCherub, initially a biological interpretation of color for survival, to become layered with its own complex emotional and cultural associations and your personal narratives. The world becomes literally saturated with meaning. Hence, a medium as direct and deep-seated as the color of AeroCherub, with all its physiological effects, cultural and identity signifiers, and innately alluring beauty, is a powerful design tool to be wielded with sensitivity.
Storytellers, before architects.
Manuela Guidarini
Every sculpture at The Soft Minimal is rooted in the vision of Manuela Guidarini (b. 1986, Italy), an Architect and Artist based in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Manuela's work is a profound exploration of the relationship between geometry and mental stillness. Drawing heavily on her design background, her creations are deeply influenced by the interaction of geometrical grids, massing, and the artful balance of light and shadow.
She designs not for mere aesthetic display, but to induce the viewer in a state of calmness and stillness. For Manuela, fine art is the most natural way to communicate emotion and ensure every object we craft serves your emotional well-being and visual order.
I. Mind and Body
Our making of AeroCherub starts from being guided by the body and mind rather than by trends or technology: we aim to create sculptures that not only look good but that also feel good. It is about accommodating our artisans through empathic design, and never treating our customers as mere spectators of an aesthetic creation. We consider our work as a facilitation of well-being, as a distillation of aesthetics that resonate with our customers and their homes, and as a system that supports the universal needs of each customer. Each project, whether AeroCherub or our other designs, is imbued with this intrinsic quality: a simplicity that carries bigger ideas.
We have dedicated the last 15 years to the pursuit of human-centric architecture and design, and artwork by artwork, have honed a philosophy and international design approach that we call “Soft Minimalism.” With humility, we have built our ideas on thousands of years of aesthetic evolutions and on the incredible insights of master craftspeople and designers working before us and beside us. These lessons merge with those we have learned along the way and with the influences of our Scandinavian context.
We hope to offer a work of good design, and each story of AeroCherub, so that our customers understand clearly and feel more deeply what they are about to buy. Our task:
to use space and matter as mediators between body and mind.
We make AeroCherub for this task.
Some things cannot be copied.
Form and soul
It is human nature to search for narrative in all things. Through storytelling about AeroCherub, we charge our surroundings, objects, activities and unexplainable natural phenomena with the aura of meaning. That is why dozens of shops keep making cheap, crude copies in an attempt to reproduce our work.
Yet we have cultivated our habit for storytelling and for understanding stories over millennia, earning the human mind special status within the animal kingdom and allowing the evolution of complex technologies and societies. So those shops can never produce an AeroCherub like ours, because the hands of highly skilled artisans shaped both its form and its soul.
If you have the chance to own an AeroCherub, you will feel the weight of the marble, cool under your hand. When you look at the face, you see a story, either made by us or projected by you. The body is made with meticulous care, and built to last.
Drag to compare
The original vs. the copy
Weight
The original. Solid marble base, dense metal balloon. Heavy in the hand.
The copy. Hollow plastic. Feather-light.
The face
The original. Proportion holds. A presence you feel at a glance.
The copy. Only close. The expression empties.
The base
The original. Real marble, cool to the touch. Natural veining, no two alike.
The copy. Painted plastic. Uniform, and stays that way.
Over time
The original. Keeps its finish for years, indoors.
The copy. Peels. Cracks.
Source
The original. Only thesoftminimal.com.
The copy. Third-party listings, copycat storefronts.
Material honesty
8 kg+
Even the smallest AeroCherub weighs more than eight kilograms. Weight is the one thing a copy can never borrow.
II. A Sensorial Role to Play
For works of art to reconcile our relationship with the world and enhance the quality of life, they should engage all senses holistically. We ask ourselves, “How should this space or object make someone feel?”
The answer guides the selection and arrangement of interrelated elements, each with a sensorial role to play. In this way, art is a language expressed from one human body to another.
III. Moments to Return To
Through the design and making of AeroCherub, we invite you into our thought process and hope you may have the opportunity to own one for your home or workplace. We have chosen a thematic categorization of spaces, details and materials (rather than a disciplinary one) to provide a philosophical perspective on AeroCherub. The complementary essays on this page elaborate on the beliefs and goals that underpin Soft Minimalism and will hopefully prove useful to you long after they've been read.
For those ultra-curious about the new works to come, you can sign up for our email newsletter just below, to hear of them or to read more of our Journal and our customers' stories.
Ultimately, we hope The Soft Minimal will give you moments of visual, tactile and cerebral pleasure to return to over time. The insights presented in these pages are expressed with acknowledgement and gratitude for the many minds and skilled artisans, some famous and some underrated, that have guided our practice, as well as the many out there who are thinking along the same lines. There is a lot of work to be done to resensualize the built world and, thankfully, we are not working in a vacuum. We hope to inspire and be inspired, and to launch many more works, for years to come.
Journal
View all
FAQs
Each piece is made to order. Crafting takes 3 to 5 days: molding, curing, and hand-polishing. Your piece then ships in shock-absorbent packaging via our secure logistics partners. Shipping typically takes 2 to 4 weeks. Shipping is a flat $9.90. You receive a tracking number the moment it leaves the studio, and our team is at contact@thesoftminimal.com for anything in between.
We have a Pristine Arrival Guarantee. In the rare event your sculpture arrives with any damage, photograph it and email contact@thesoftminimal.com within 48 hours of delivery. We will craft and ship a replacement at no extra cost.
Nearly identical, with one exception: the marble base. Natural stone veining varies from piece to piece, so no two sculptures are exactly alike. Yours will be a unique original.
A matte resin figure, a mirror-polished metal balloon (real metal plating, not chrome-coated plastic), and a solid marble base. It is durable and made to last, but like any fine sculpture or ceramic piece, it should be handled with care and protected from hard impacts.
Yes. AeroCherub is designed to last outdoors as well as indoors, in rough weather, harsh climates and direct sun. A porch or a garden suits it as well as a living room.
Within 24 hours of purchase. After that, materials are allocated and crafting is underway. Returns remain open for 14 days after delivery.
Neither, on purpose. AeroCherub is a genderless figure designed to capture the essence of innocence, hope, and effortless joy.
A few minutes, no tools. The figure, base, and balloon ship separately in custom foam. You fasten the figure to the base yourself.
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Love it
There was some confusion on my part about when my item would be delivered. When I emailed, they got back to me same day !! My item arrived and I LOVE IT
KellieOctober 2026
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When you unbox....
When you unbox an art piece from
The Soft Minimal, its kind of like opening that special gift from St. Nick.
I am wowed at the beauty and the sense of peace that each piece brings.Drew HoovlerSeptember 2026
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The art is life and the Soft Minimal makes us all better for it
Let’s start with the easiest-the product. Art and creation are highly personal, as is the receipt and impact by those pieces. I now have 3 from the Soft Minimal and each one strikes deep and strikes with emotion. I do not know how they capture the essence when creating, but it feels like each piece was made for me personally. Arriving at the perfect moment in time. …
John JaroncykSeptember 2026
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Simply the Best!
I have purchased from Thesoftminimal before. The quality, the attention to detail, the love they put into every piece is truly exquisite. Words are not adequate to describe the feelings I experience when I open my carefully wrapped treasure. It is truly magical. The team, the customer service, the gratitude and respect they provide to me for every purchase I have made is like no other. They are artists and they are simply the very best!
Judy LeetzSeptember 2026
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Excellent experiece
I am please to let everyone know that I ordered and received AeroCherubs with a Red Balloon. It arrive with damage to the hand. I emailed The Soft Minimalist support and the service commitment was immediately recognized.
Asha and Manuela told me, I didn’t need to do anything, that a replacement order was being promptly shipped. They told me I didn’t need to send the damaged piece back or do anything on my end. They even offered to send me an additional piece, free of charge.
While it is unrealistic for everything to always go perfectly, when something does go wrong, it is all about the service recovery and Asha and Manuela could not have handled this any better.
I love the piece and as a “self proclaimed” service expert, I can say that customer service and customer satisfaction, I experienced with The Soft Minimal, was impressive.WB GoldbergJuly 2026
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I am always searching for interesting…
I am always searching for interesting art pièces and The Soft Minimal appeared on my Instagram . I was drawn to the simplicity and purity of the artist’s work and I could see the meaning behind her pieces … at least her work spoke to me . … All pièces we’re wonderfully wrapped and protected , communication with customer service was so wonderful, and the artist herself took time to reach out to make sure I was satisfied with her work .
An absolute pleasure to have worked with this company ! Thank you to Manuela the artist and her wonderful staff .leila depaduaJuly 2026
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I purchased the cherub boy with the red…
I purchased the cherub boy with the red balloon, and the girl holding a whole bunch of red balloons… They were carefully curated. They were carefully packed and they make a statement in my house. … I love your art.
linda goscilaJuly 2026
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Purchase Asend for my daughters.
I purchase your Asend piece for my daughters. They arrived yesterday and are thrilled with the simple beauty and love they express. Your wonderful art gave me a fantastic way to express my love for my daughters.
James WardenJune 2026
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Masterpiece
I received the piece, The Echo, a few weeks ago and I almost cried. It is the most unique, exquisitely crafted form of workmanship ever. If my friends ask me about it I tell them that I have renamed it “Burdened Down” because it represents the struggles of life to me. The size and weight of this piece were surprising as well. Kudos Soft Minimal for a one of a kind masterpiece. I’m searching for my next purchase from you.
Ruth D McPhersonJune 2026
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The Aero Cherub is absolutely stunning
The Aero Cherub is absolutely stunning. Purchased as a Mother’s Day gift for my wife. The first arrived damaged, but a replacement was sent right away. They could not have been nicer. They sent Ascend as a gift for the trouble. Everyone that has seen it, loves it.
MJJune 2026
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Exemplary Product and Customer Support
I contacted the Softmnimal in May to find out if order was purchased how long it would take to receive. This order was being placed as a gift to a friend and I wanted it to arrive during a particular time frame. Asha was the individual who contacted me initially and followed through every step of the way to insure delivery during the time frame I expected. … I have never had any support from a business as I did with the Softminimal and Asha. … If ever I need a special item for anyone I will look to the Softminimal to see if they have an appropriate gift. I recommend this business with no hesitation.
Rose RogersJune 2026
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We purchased the boy with the red…
We purchased the boy with the red balloon and instantly fell in love with him. He just makes us smile. Such great craftsmanship that we looked at other pieces to buy. We purchased two other pieces of art and equally love those as well!! All three pieces are displayed proudly in our home and we have gotten compliments already. We will definitely keep an eye on this artist and will most likely purchase something again. The quality of the work and the price are outstanding!
JanetJune 2026
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I absolutely LOVE the Silent Muse
I absolutely LOVE the Silent Muse, the Echo, and the black/white males throwing flowers at one another. The customer service is incredible and Asha in particular, made my purchases so ease to track and answered any questions I had, very quickly. I am definitely a customer for life. These pieces are gorgeous, arrive quickly, and customer service is extremely responsive!! If you are wondering about the quality, don't worry! These are very well made and I have already gotten a ton of compliments on them at my office. Thank you to everyone on The Soft Minimal team, for bringing these beautiful pieces of art into our office and home!
Audrey TrinidadJune 2026
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