The impetus for this work stems from my interest in the notions of fakes, imitations and counterfeits, particularly those created in order to better meet people’s needs, since they possess attributes that are missing from the originals.
By creating false agates, I can design geometrical shapes that cannot be found in nature, and therefore can be worn directly without requiring any particular set or structure.
The association of porcelain and glass seemed perfectly suited to my project as it allows me to recreate agates by imitating the natural process: fluids (more or less rich in silica and of various compositions) circulate amongst rocky cavities, generating successive layers of quartz crystals after each passing, eventually creating a geode, and when the cavity is full, becoming an agate.
I start by creating a cavity in grogged porcelain, in which I circulate various liquid elements that have differing silica saturations, a process I continue until the cavity is entirely filled. After being fired at a high temperature, the piece is subsequently cut, ground and polished on a diamond-coated material, as one would do for real stones.
This method is successful thanks to the fusion of ceramic and glass: the porcelain brings to the piece its stability during the firing process and the glass provides brilliancy and translucency. Together, the two materials also give the feel, shine and weight of a natural agate, while their incompatibility causes the glass to crack, thus creating this expected « quartz effect ».
Series of a necklace and various bracelets. Porcelain, glass & glaze.