These works by Oscar Abba are at a first glance almost unrecognizable, but upon closer inspection this body of work uses many techniques, and is beautifully manufactured.
When looking upon these pieces they look heavy, and impractical to wear, but they actually have a lot of body/volume without being unsightly. In the bracelet Folds 2011 the folds are hollow constructed, making the piece lighter than it looks. The way the pieces are designed allows for a soft look, almost like ribbon or fabric draped into a shape. The spaces between the metal layers give an interesting play on the metal surface, some layers being highlighted whilst the others are cast into shadow. This is emphasized by the metal surface not having a highly polished finish. Each of the pieces also seem to start at a main point, and almost grow out to make the piece, picking up and an almost organic feel, even though some of the shapes within the bracelets are in fact quite crisp and linear. The appears to be no clear line of symmetry, but the design is still balance, in that no one side is heavier in appearance than the other.
On at least one of the bracelet designs (which is hardly seen) is a hinge and what seems to be a clasp, (maybe magnetic) giving a seamless look without making it a classically shaped bracelet/bangle. There is also quite a gentle sense of being able to follow all the individual forms round, which in its self seems to create a sense of movement. It’s the voids left in between the folds of silver that create the shape of a bracelet not a bracelet with a surface design added to it. It’s in this exploration of space that leads to the idea that you must look further into a design, not judge it by first glance, in these designs what looks like twisted scrap metal is actually a well thought out design with clever design features.
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