Archimedes Pendant

c² = a² + b², this conglomerate stone, comes off the beach, at the base of the island of Ortiga; exposed at low tide and scattered with pieces of ancient structure rolled and smoothed by the sea. The stone is held in a Pythagorean silver cage and held in place with a piece of amber. Ortiga off Syracuse, Sicily is where Archimedes was born and developed his theories of algebra and geometry. The amber references the ancient trade routes stretching from Ortigia as far as Scandinavia. Ortigia stands high on the rocks above the sea, it has been occupied and built upon over 2000 years.

About Syann van Niftrik

Syann van Niftrik has a process led approach to making her work is rooted in an intimate understanding of metals and their behaviour; forging and manipulation of texture, developed through a lifetime of experimentation to reveal the nature of the material itself.

Organic structures, unexpected mechanisms and the rhythms of the natural world provide starting points. Works evolve through making, allowing form to develop spontaneously before being understood intellectually. Her studio holds a residue of found objects, interspersed with fragments of ideas and material explorations. Technical experiments accumulate and recombine, forming tactile wearable pieces.

Her work has received critical acclaim and is held in collections internationally. She has exhibited at the Museum of Art and Design (MAD) New York, Goldsmiths’ Fair London, Sierraad Amsterdam and Chelsea Crafts Fair and Origin amongst others.