In 2003, Emiliano Céliz, one of the finest silversmiths in South America, moved to San Martín de los Andes with his family; he has remained there and practiced his craft ever since. He takes as his inspiration the splendor of these natural surroundings, incorporating the forms found in the beautiful lakes and the exquisite landscapes of the countryside into his work.
Céliz begins each piece with an idea (rather than sketches) and in the making of it discovers his final design. More incredible still, his decorative artworks are often wrought from a single plate of metal -- a technique mastered by only a few artists in the world. The result is a collection of objects closer to the sculptural than to the utilitarian, adding art to the artisanal and revealing new possibilities for renowned Argentine metalwork.
Evocative of primitive life in ancient seas, this tabletop sculpture is forged from copper, chased and pressed, or repusée, and then burnished. From its interior explodes a plume of sterling silver filaments, some of which are plated in gold.
To watch the creation of this extraordinary work of copper (and the artist at work in his beautiful Patagonian landscape) please enjoy the video below. For a look at his latest version of this work, please click anywhere on this sentence.