This arrestingly beautiful wall hanging by the London-based studio ceramicist, Sotis Filippides, was one of the true gems revealed at Index, the Dubai interiors show, this month.
Consisting of handmade ceramic tubes glazed on the outside with iron oxide and finished inside with 24-carat gold, it was inspired by Stravinsky's musical masterpiece The Rite of Spring - the tubes arranged to mimic the complex rhythmical structure of the music.
At first glance it seems to be made of a heavy material - yet it is feather-light and surprisingly delicate. Revealing Filippides's love of texture, the rough surface is a natural product of the special clay that he uses: found only in Stoke-on-Trent (the home of British pottery) it is very malleable but contains fine sand particles. Combined with this roughness, the matt black of the iron oxide glaze makes the tubes wonderfully tactile and organic; the smooth glow of the gold provides a dramatic contrast.
Filippides has been precociously successful: after graduating from Athens School of Ceramics, he enrolled in another college in London and, while there, received his first commercial commission - from the famous store Liberty. A contract from the Conran Shop followed, prompting Filippides to settle in London and open his own workshop and studio.
He throws, fires and colours every piece himself and - given the unpredictability of the firing process, as well as the nature of handcraft - no two pieces can ever be identical. Thus his ceramics are as much works of art as functional vessels.
Rite of Spring costs £5,000 (Dh29,435). Available to order from Sotis Studio Ceramics, Oxo Tower, South Bank, London SE1 9PH, UK; +44 7733 151 276; www.sotis.co.uk
