Ethereal Tea Set (2024) is made using organic materials such as palm bark, pine cone, and twigs. The theme of my work derives from the idea of “reinterpretation”, referencing the man-made world only using natural materials. The concept roots from a situation in which one is surrounded by modern technology and going back to a more primitive form of life. It reflects on the materialistic and consumerist nature of contemporary society while questioning what modern people value.

The process of my work involves hand-molding palm bark to take on a typical form of contemporary tea set. The texture and color of the palm bark is carefully chosen to create an aesthetic that is interesting or appealing to the eye. The handle of the cup are made separately using twigs and palm bark, which is then connected to the side of the cup using glue. Each object is layered in palm bark for density and sturdiness to increase its durability.

The usage of locally found materials and spontaneity behind my work resulted in a cross-over of Surrealism and Environmental art. My work is inspired by nature and I am using raw materials to handcraft a tea set in an unconventional way. I am also thinking about the commercial, material world and transmitting its beauty in the appearance of a surrealist object and assemblages, such as Méret Oppenheim’s Object (Le Déjeuner en fourrure) (1936). The strong interest in finding magic and strange beauty in the unexpected and the uncanny is preserved into my three-dimensional sculpture.