COUP de … ROUGE avec Lucia MASSEI – Filo ROSSO ………
Une architecture à l’allure délicate mais à la présence puissante et qui me touche profondément ….
« Lucia Massei‘s works reveal evocative forms and release a strong energy. The artist likes to use hard metals such as shibuichi and iron, due to their inherent internal tension and surprising lightness. She also enjoys availing herself of gold due to its ability to bring to life different hues of red. Jewellery making to Massei is a very special moment, a time when she can shut off from the rest of her surroundings and enter into a world of her own. It is a private space, a time for reflection and a time to elaborate her thoughts, that will then be translated into sculptural pieces for the body. Her jewellery pieces are the result of her experiences, a time for her to be able to make up stories that she will later share with all of us. They create a bridge between her and the rest of the world, a bridge that allows her to reach out to people and speak to them in a language of her own. At times they are the end of one journey and the beginning of another. They come to us in the form of delicate, feminine, poetic works for the body, able to tell us a different story every time we look at them. A journey into the artist’s intimate sphere, but at the same time, a journey each one of us can make into our own private realm. » (Alternatives Gallery)
Lucia Massei - ‘Mon coeur 1′ brooch – silver, 18kt yellow gold, iron, fine gold, pigment, black spinels – 2010
Lucia Massei - « la tua pelle » / « Touching your skin » necklace – 18kt yellow gold, silver, iron, pigment 2007
Lucia Massei - « Ensamble » necklace 2006 shibuichi, pigments, yellow gold
Lucia Massei - « homeless » pendant – silver, iron, pigment 2006
Lucia Massei - necklace
Lucia Massei - shibuichi rings (shibuichi : silver & copper)
Lucia Massei - « aritmia » bracelet 2007 iron, yellow gold, pigments
Lucia Massei - Necklace: « All around you » / « tutto intorno a te » 2006 Shibuichi, yellow gold 18kt, pigment
Lucia Massei - « Due come noi » / « two like us » necklace (detail) 2005 shibuichi, fine gold, resin, yellow gold
Lucia Massei - « Suit of armour » Bracciale 2007 shibuichi oro giallo pigmenti
Lucia Massei - « IL MURO » Pendente
Shibuichi (四分一) is a billon which can be patinated into a range of subtle muted shades of blue or green. Its name means « one-fourth » in Japanese and indicates the standard formulation of one part silver to three parts copper, though this may be varied according to the desired effect. A 5% silver / 95% copper alloy is also marketed as « shibuichi » [1]. An wide range of colours can be achieved using the whole range of alloy compositions, even above 50% silver. It is a common misconception that both copper and silver oxides form but in fact a detailed study has shown that only copper oxides are formed on the copper rich regions of the materials microstructure while the silver rich regions are left largely untouched.
For most of its history, shibuichi was mostly used to ornament various fittings for katana until the Meiji reforms, when most swordmakers began to make purely decorative objects instead. Similar alloys have been used elsewhere but the use of shibuichi to achieve different colored patinas has remained nearly unknown outside Japan, despite recent interest from artisans in the West. (wikipedia)
