THE ART OF GOLD
WHEN IT COMES TO CREATING THEIR 24K GOLDPLATED OBJETS D’ARTS, RISIS UNDERSTANDS THAT IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS
Pablo Picasso once said, “The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.” True art lifts and inspires us to new heights with its absolute marriage of form and meaning—and that is what local ar tisanal brand RISIS aims to do with its perfectly hand-rendered offerings of jeweller y, décor and lifestyle pieces.
Known for bringing together cutting-edge technology and sensitive articulation of natural forms, this 39-year-old industr y leader innovated the gold-plating of the Singapore orchid in stunning 24-karat gold. And the rest is histor y, as they say.
The works of beauty by this artisanal house have been gifted to diplomats, politicians and beloveds alike, but souvenir and sentimentality aside, the pursuits of artistr y and precision remain at the heart of RISIS’ ethos.
Eager to keep pushing forward the frontiers of precious metal art pieces, RISIS is moving from its heritage of flora to fauna using it s trademark craf tsmanship and advanced goldplating technology.
THE CRAFT OF THE ART Perfectly executed artwork with good visual flow and tactility is like a serene pond—its flawless exterior belies an arduous process that often takes up to eight weeks to complete.
At RISIS, creating these exquisite sculptures by hand is more of a calling than a process—in-house artists and craftsman engage in a six-step process including sketching, clay and wire sculpting, wax sculpting, resin moulding, pewter casting and finally, gold-plating.
At t he initial sketching st age, t he ar tist ’s imagination is released to be free to play at will. At this point, multiple prospective perspectives and angles of the final piece are explored, discarded or saved. It is here that a RISIS piece begins gaining shape and form. Shading and fine penciling to add detail imbues the work with soul and individualit y.
Once the final design has been chosen, an armature, or suppor t structure, of clay and wire is made. This “skeleton” of the sculpture helps RISIS craf tsmen to maintain t he blueprint of the sketching and the subject matter ’s purit y of motion in three- dimensional format.
Wax is then applied as a sculpting material. Highly responsive, it of fers ar tisans more room for creative expression, while maintaining beautiful shape. Once form and aesthetics are converged per fectly, a master mould is made in resin, before the final sculpture is cast in luxurious pewter.
Gratif ying to touch and pleasingly graceful, the new ar t work i s then smoothly enrobed in 24 -karat gold, thanks to RISIS’ signature goldplating technology, as a final flourish.
HARMONIOUS BEGINNINGS From concept to product, the goat sculptures from the RISIS Zodiac Collection 2015 is a gorgeous combination of movement and stasis set on blackened copper bases. Taking the intrepid Alpine Ibex goat from the European Alps as model, this range’s thoughtful touches and design motives are well worthy of collectors’ appreciation.
The precious collectors’ items are a perfect way to start off the new year symbolically. Each piece flaunts detailing so fine that the animal pelt practically undulates under one’s eyes. Symbolic touches like traditional emblems and motifs imbue each sculpture with meaning. What's more, the sculptures depict the progression from one life stage to another, as the goat matures from kid to full-fledged adult ready to take on the world on its own terms.
The Collection’s three motifs include the nimbly stepping Divine Goat, the Wealth Goat with a sensitively upturned face and the majestic limited edition Reverence Goat, with only 88 pieces available worldwide.