like WATER…by Mari Ishikawa

Artist list

Mari Ishikawa

Water is the source of life and the symbol of life cycle. There is nothing more fluid and at the same time as powerful and strong as water.
Necklaces and brooches that shape it are made using materials and techniques that had already characterized the artist’s work, namely oxidized silver, silk, twines, knots, modeling of metals using plants and, in this case, flowers. In these works, the plants melted in silver are even better at conveying the concept of life, regeneration, and power of Renaissance. Brooches and pendants are made more precious and lit by the light-blue brightness of raw aquamarine that is inserted in fragments in the compositions, with an evident evocative aim. The purity and brightness of light-blue stone are in contrast with the mysterious tone of oxidized silver, thus giving each piece some poetic refinement.

The water surface ideally reflects a whole set of meanings, relevant to the transformation phenomena that affect the tangible reality as well as humans’ spiritual life; generation, growth, purification and renovation. Maybe this is the highest instance of how Ishikawa’s works release a wide range of meanings. Maybe Water is the most successful attempt by the artist to achieve the visionary transformation of a jewel into a symbol, into a precious object that is truly meaningful, in a landscape that is worth discovering and experiencing.

"The world we see" affirms Ishikawa "is only a part of reality, which is composed of many worlds. We can only discover those parallel worlds with eyes wide open. With my jewels I wish to show the parallel worlds I have discovered".

Focusing the concept of gaze is now fundamental, for a series of reasons. First of all, vision is a topic informally referred to in the titles and formal configurations related to some of her artistic cycles. They are brooches and necklaces called Borrowed Scenery collection started in 2020, came with an object for wall decoration, the Kimono, suggesting, not by chance, a window and landscapes to stare, experience and take in.


Opening: 3rd of April until 2nd of May.