A leaf as a shell: an art object you use as a container.
Project Statement
The Folia container is born from a simple, powerful image: a large leaf standing upright, its central vein and rib-like veins fanning out toward the edge. Closed, it is a sculpture; open, it reveals five shelves and becomes a bookcase, a bar, a container. From leaf to leaf comes the temptation of two mirrored leaves: because beauty mirrors itself, and tempts.
The outer profile is a perfect half-moon: the leaf seen in section, resting on a semi-elliptical moulded base. The veins etched into the lacquered surface cross the front diagonally, as fine as pencil marks.
As the shell rotates, the leaf opens: inside, five shelves follow the curve of the profile, turning the art object into a fully functional piece of furniture. The opening can be set to the right or the left, to suit the wall and the room.
Placed side by side, two Folia pieces compose a new figure: a large oval recalling an egg, an almond, a whole leaf. The veins mirror each other along the central rib, drawing a herringbone pattern that rises upward.
It is the project's most theatrical configuration: two twin sculptures facing each other, completing one another and doubling their capacity to contain — without ever announcing it.
Folia is available in four finishes: cherry wood, for those seeking the warmth of timber; mother-of-pearl, with an iridescent surface that catches the light like the inside of a shell; and glossy or satin lacquer, for the colour versions.
The etched veins respond differently to each finish: on mother-of-pearl they emerge as reflections; on lacquer they become sharp, graphic marks. The same form, four characters.
“From leaf to leaf comes the temptation of two mirrored leaves: because beauty mirrors itself, and tempts.”
The lacquered version frees Folia from any naturalistic reference, carrying it into the territory of pure colour. In blue, the open shell reveals shelves of the same tone: interior and exterior become a single chromatic volume.
It proves that the form can carry any guise: the finish changes, the mood changes, but the leaf remains instantly recognisable.
A leaf.
A shell. A work.
Closed, it furnishes; open, it contains: Folia does not choose — it does both.
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