Fasetto

My travels across India and the world have exposed me to rich cultural histories – traditional ways of building with stone and local handcraft techniques. The creation of the Fasetto was prompted by one such visit to the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. The mausoleum’s vaulted ceiling, which is adorned by a series of engraved geometric patterns, left me in awe.

Back in my studio, I started exploring interpretations of these patterns. I was really interested in converting the two-dimensional motifs into a multi-dimensional form. This is where knowledge of another traditional craftsmanship technique came in handy – origami. I drew from the historic art of paper-folding, subtly creating pleats and creases in the stone surface. The resultant form, with embossed patterns, interacts dynamically with light to generate a range of beautiful shadows.

‘Fasetto’ is derived from the Japanese word for ‘facet.’ The surface is a combination of several facets – each different from the other – that come together to create harmony and symmetry. Its geometric patterns lend themselves to a variety of interpretations. For example, we’ve created a backlit and a stone inlay permutation.

The Fasetto Bar Table is another illustration of the immense possibilities of this pattern. The simple elegance of this sculpturesque piece belies the complexities of its creation process.

The production of the bar table’s edges presented a major technical challenge; this is where the ‘facet’ turns and the two stone slabs meet. In response, the slabs had to be beveled at 45 degrees to form miter joints at the site, which were then fastened together with metal clamps.