Blue Alchemy Vase by Siba Sahabi

Blue Alchemy vase by Siba Sahabi Limited edition of: 36 of each design + 2 AP + 1 P Vase N.I: 48 x 32 x 32 cm Signed and numbered. Referencing the first man-made pigment that was developed as early as 2600 BCE, Blue Alchemy is the new bright blue edition of Siba’s iconic felt vases. The ancient Egyptians held the color blue in very high regard because it was considered the colour of life, fertility, and rebirth. Since the semiprecious blue stone lapis lazuli was rare and extremely expensive, craftsmen desired to imitate the hue. The discovery of the frst synthetic pigment emerged from the production of glazed ceramics because the raw materials (silica, lime, copper, and alkali) were the same. Following its discovery, the use of the synthetic pigment spread throughout Mesopotamia, Greece, and the far reaches of the Roman Empire. ‘Egyptian blue’ had a strong influence on European art and was applied to, amongst others, the wall paintings of Pompeii. After the Roman era ‘Egyptian blue’ fell from use and the process of its creation was forgotten. with her collection of seven felt vases, entitled Blue Alchemy, Siba revives ‘Egyptian blue’ and takes us back to an ancient pottery workshop that served as a laboratory for alchemical experiments. Siba’s vases are made by hand from coiled colored felt strips. An enlarged glass tube is placed in each felt vase, allowing it to hold water. Biography & vision Siba Sahabi (b. 1979) is a German-Iranian artist. She creates installations, sculptures, objects and films. Through her work she explores and reconstructs the meaning of cultural identity. Siba is interested in how relationships around us determine who we are as individuals in our Community, and how this ‘mould’ of our cultural identity changes when we are exposed to multiple cultures at the same time. Siba translates her research on cultural identity into contemporary design through an interpretation of forms and concepts. She creates a wide range of centrepieces—from limited design edition to Large Scale art installations. Parallel to her artistic practice, she develops concepts and designs products for various labels such as Pols Potten and Rosenthal. Siba works with media such as film and photography to illuminate the context of her designed objects and to visualise her research through narrative. These processes of creating context and narration around her work extend to her international and cross-disciplinary collaborations, which form an important source of inspiration for her. In recent years she has worked together with choreographer Iván Pérez, graphic designer Thijs Verbeek, dancer Sara Toscano, film director Chris Rijksen, photographer Arjan Benning and composer Rutger Zuydervelt/ Machinefabriek. Her award-winning work has been exhibited internationally in museums and galleries such as Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes in Buenos Aires, Spazio Rossana Orlandi in Milan, Galerie Philia in Genève and Saatchi Gallery in London.