The silicone flowers of a creative mind
- Gigliola discovered silicone by chance
- Since 2010 she has used this material to create flower vases and compositions
- Experimentation is the basis of her work
Gigliola Scagliotti has not always been a craftswoman: she began her career as a surveyor and only later dedicated herself to an activity in which she gave space to her creativity. To create her vases she uses silicone, a material that cannot be found in fine art shops and which requires continuous experimentation: from the creation of the tools, to the research of processing techniques, to the colouring methods. Starting from a very common silicone tube (acetic silicone), Gigliola manages to transform this shapeless and colourless material into lively flowering vases. As she points out, however, it is not magic: hours of work and a lot of effort are required to create her vases.
INTERVIEW
I started by making small jewellery pieces and decorating furniture in an alternative way. Once, while I was working on a chair and trying to recreate the effect of snow, I discovered the artistic potential of silicone, which quickly became my only working material.
Most of my subjects are floral representations. I take inspiration from the world of nature, but I do not limit myself to copying the real thing, I prefer to give vent to my imagination and create imaginative flowers.
I love everything about my craft, except for the smell of acetic silicone. It is pungent and penetrating and after hours of work it is annoying. I am currently trying out a type of odourless silicone, but I am still in the experimentation phase. Maybe one day I will be able to create a silicone that smells like the flowers I make!
Every time I see one of my vases in a beautiful shop window my heart opens. I started from a small shop and without expecting it I arrived at Homo Faber. The greatest satisfaction comes when we obtain results from our sacrifices, when we resolve the technical problems encountered during the implementation phase.
