kŷma | vessel

In this piece a complex lattice of repeating and reflecting cyma curves was developed for the patterning.

Cyma curves have featured in architecture, textiles and craft since antiquity, and are also known as ‘ogee’ or kŷma (ancient Greek for wave). I sought to break into the pattern, allowing underlying structures to be exposed, extending the curving lines so that they undulate across the surface of the piece appearing almost like threads.  I have long used paper in my work. It is a material so ubiquitous that it is often overlooked as a legitimate medium in contemporary craft or design. Here the extraordinary qualities of paper are brought to the fore. It can be cut to extreme levels of detail (here many lines are less than a millimeter wide). Ideal for layering, paper becomes extremely strong yet retains flexibility when laminated, allowing for boundaries of structure to be pushed and explored. 

Each layer is cut individually using a customised laser machine and then hand finished (the piece has 84 unique layers). A form is computed and 3d-printed to act as a precision guide so that the laser cut sheet parts can be glued together in a precise stack to form each individual face. The faces are then assembled and attached together using textile fasteners within the piece.

MATERIALS: Papers, gold leaf, ink, cotton
DIMENSIONS: (CM) H:46 W:27
YEAR:2025
PRICE INDICATION: prices for this series start from USD 10,000