Original artwork description:

DAMA CON L'ERMELLINO

Experimenting with one of history's greatest artist's works: Da Vinci's “Dama con l'ermellino”.

In the last years I dedicated my existence to studies and practice of new artistic expression, so I am proud to present the result of this unique piece, that is actually two different artworks in one.
The image is melt into the porcelain sheet and brightly appears when illuminated, and instead creates an abstract colorful painting on daylight.

It was created with Limogés porcelain, known as the “white gold” in the global porcelain scenario, that embodies luxury and refinement since ages.

Porcelain is known for it's dazzling white, luminous hue and the intricacy of it's hand-painted decorations, moreover for the material’s unique properties of strength, durability, and imperviousness.

Making porcelain is a difficult, delicate, and a time-intensive process that involves vitrifying the clay multiple times at extremely high temperatures.

I wanted to reach limits and go beyond, and that's where my previous experience in typography came in to play. I started to create ultra thin porcelain sheets using the same procedure paper was made in ancient times, and after years of researching, experimenting, failing and trying harder I eventually managed to mold few tenths of a millimeter thin biscuit porcelain sheets.

At this point I had a new challenge in front of me: decorate using a technique that has never been applied on porcelain before, and this time, my lifetime practice as photograph gave me the inspiration to impress through subtraction the negative photographic image.
For sure the process had to be entirely handcrafted, without using any electronic device, such as a Printer, instead taking advantage from the chemical reaction egg whites have exposing them to UV lights in order to fix glazes and engobes.

Through multiple steps of photosensitization, exposure, development and fixing, I was finally able to draw the picture on porcelain, using only my paintbrush and sunlight.

Ultimately the porcelain is fired at over 1200°C, so that glazes and engobes blend into the material, which makes the decoration everlasting, and the piece of art itself potentially eternal.

At this point the porcelain is mounted with shock absorbers on a holder, I handcraft and customize for each single piece, recycling and upcycling different materials.

This artwork is fixed on a wooden board, refined with ash.

To light up the clarity of the porcelain and bring the painting to life, a small Led system backlights the artwork, evolving into an impressive wall lamp, fulfilling an aesthetic and useful function as it creates a soft and evocative ambient lighting.


Being the whole process extremely time consuming, the production is limited to least pieces, and all creations are unique and numbered, complete with authenticity certificate.
However, if you want your favorite picture to be one of these few pieces, you can commission your personal artwork, providing a photograph.

This is artwork n. 8.

Thank you for visiting this artwork.

Visit my website "GILL gilberto borghesi" and my Instagram profile “gill_gilberto_borghesi” and discover my story.

Shipped ready to hang, safely and properly boxed.

Materials used:

Porcelain wood ash

Tags:

#portrait #light #leonardo da #da vinci #collectible art #porcelain #made in #warm light #wall living #wall lamp #porcelain sculpture #limoges #dama con #painted porcelain