Janus Lab Italy
The Old Woman
The Old Woman
Old Woman in the night shore under the moon
The face seeks to conceive and embody life through the textured skin of an old woman. Kissed by the moon, its surface reflects a silvery glow—a silver foil catching the light upon her lips, nose and eyes. Her eyelids remain a dark line of deep and forgotten wells.
On the reverse side, the texture bears the cold of moonlight. Copper oxidation, firescale and black enamel enriches the already intricate surface of the hammered metal; black shadows trace the contours of a long-lived life. Silver foils highlight her eyes and lips, as though time itself had applied a final touch of makeup—an adornment of dignity and memory.Â
Enamel - Le Grand Feu
“Smalti a Fuoco_ Un’arte di Sottecchio”
The art of fire enameling is an ancient and highly complex craft.
Rooted in precise gestures and knowledge acquired over time, it has, through the centuries, transformed simple metals—such as copper or silver—into objects of great value and artistic significance.
Today, it is largely confined to a few specialized creations and is often mistaken for industrially produced items or those made with polymer-based enamels. As a result, it remains mostly associated with traditionally styled aesthetic prototypes.
Only in rare cases has it broken free from classical aesthetics, giving rise to modern works crafted using ancient techniques—thanks to great, though now nearly forgotten, artisans.
These are the foundations of our own deeply personal journey: not only a rediscovery of enamel’s potential, but also a search for a new, contemporary language—one that reimagines how fire enameling can still express beauty and sophistication today.
The Origin of ...
 In recent years I watch with interest new discovery and speculation of history has much more to offer than the one we know. Stories of ancient civilization lost on time, where traces start to resurface now within a climate change environmental degradation both in arctic areas than equatorial rain forests. Departing from those same traces of sculped rocks represent faces and traces of ancient civilization I start to see the face of people. How to represent them. Then I started as experiment to try trace their face expression on a piece of copper and trying to sculpt the metal reproducing those same lines. The use of the hammer form the material in two ways: one one side expand and deform the surface, of the other leave traces that represent a rich texture. It was unavoidable for me to start sculpting faces of people and trying to represent facial expression. I started to explore feelings like wonder, sadness, happiness and the process it is only in its infancy. I am attracted by how ancient civilization, but more in general cultural perception tried to represent their own people. Their own culture and symbolism. That is the path in which this project is aimed.