From forest to table: nature’s beauty, preserved in porcelain.
Giuliano Wai Ging Sammarro’s project explores the deep connection between humans and nature through an act of preservation and transformation. Inspired by Giuseppe Penone’s artistic approach, Sammarro does not seek to create new forms but rather to highlight the beauty that already exists in nature. This concept led him to collect pieces of wood from the forest, chosen for their unique aesthetics, and reproduce them in porcelain.
By translating wood into porcelain—a material associated with value and permanence—the perception of these objects shifts. People start handling them with greater care, noticing details they might have overlooked in their original form. But the process goes beyond mere reproduction: Sammarro carves and sandblasts cross-sections of tree trunks, revealing their growth rings before casting them in porcelain. The result is a series of plates that remind us of our reliance on nature and invite us to rediscover its beauty in everyday actions like eating.
This project engages multiple senses: sight, touch, and even sound. As a knife glides over the engraved growth rings in the porcelain, one can literally hear the age of the tree. This small yet powerful detail reinforces the project’s central message: nature is not separate from us, but an intrinsic part of our existence. Through these plates, the dining table becomes a meeting point between the memory of the forest and the present, fostering an ongoing dialogue between humans and the environment.