Video

Fracture and Fragment

"Every act of creation is first an act of destruction." Pablo Picasso

Sandra Shashou’s new body of work, comprising of arrangements of smashed fragments of bone china tea sets, oscillates between modalities of dissolution and reformulation, order and rupture, and historical eras.

Her source material is the bone china produced by Europe’s finest porcelain manufacturers, as the titles of her works indicate – Hamilton, Argyle, Tuscan, Royal Albert, Wedgwood, Limoges, Meito hand-painted and Cobalt – and collected by her from dealers and flea markets. The designs range across centuries and topographies: in one work the lemons and blues of Art Deco, in another the crimson of Edwardian and Victorian designs, and in a third the blue tracery of Chinoiserie.

Shashou brings these tea sets back to her studio and using a small hammer she shatters, punctures, chips and fragments. And yet the shapes of the original crockery are somehow preserved and repurposed in her intricate constructions. The curves of the broken tea sets undulate across simple rectangular surfaces, or swirl around rotundas with a baroque flamboyance. In some the pieces lock tightly together as if part of some giant Cubist puzzle, in other shards seem to be caught in the freeze frame of a constructivist explosion. Her chromatically rich, harmonious works match crimsons, mustard yellows and pinks, or mauve, turquoise and blue. Set in a gold or white ground, Shashou’s fragments unfold like Jackson Pollock’s all-over paintings – only shattered, not splattered.

Shashou has found inspiration in the Japanese art of Kintsugi, in which broken bowls were repaired with beautiful golden joins, so fashionable in the 17th century, that people were accused of deliberately smashing valuable pottery so it could be remade in this manner.

Some may read a social comment in her work, a playful rupturing of bourgeois values. The order and tranquillity of a daily routine, with its echoes of Victorian Britain, Alice in Wonderland and social conformity, tea-time, has been literally shattered.

Shashou herself prefers to foreground the emotional and biographical metaphors embedded in the work. Smashing crockery is, after all, a time-honoured feature of the lovers’ row. “Breakage and fractures are part of the chance and fate of human life, part of our personal history,” she says, "I embrace vulnerability and fragility. In truth that is how we reveal ourselves and really connect.” When Shashou has looked back on love that has disintegrated, and reflected on the times when she has felt ‘shattered’, she has realised that the pieces have rearranged themselves in a new harmonious order. “They fitted together but not they did before."

BROKEN

Complex and intricate, exuberant and elegant, Sandra Shashou’s new body of work, comprises of arrangements of smashed fragments of vintage fine bone china tea sets, Russian Lomonosov porcelain, Spanish Lladro and Nao ballerina figurines or German bisque Kaiser nude, dating back to the 1940s, 50s and 60s.
ABOUT THE WORK
WATCH THE VIDEO

Harlequin Romance (57)

90x90x20Dcm | Royal Stuart Spencer Stephenson Fine Bone Vintage Harlequin Porcelain. Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel
and Perspex Box | Commissioned for a UK Collector | 2019

 

Sunshine Bright (54)
50x50x25Dcm | Lomonosov, Royal Worcester Coffee Cups, Royal Stuart Spencer Stephenson Fine Bone Vintage Porcelain.
Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | 2019

 

It’s all Consuming (56)

 | Royal Winton Gold Vintage Porcelain | Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | Commissioned for a UK Collector | 2019

 

Fragments Of The Sky And The Sea (55)
130x90x10Dcm | Lomonosov, Royal Worcester Coffee Cups, Royal Stuart Spencer Stephenson Fine bone Vintage Porcelain.
Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | Specially Commissioned Work for Las Vegas USA | 2019

 

Shining Light 2019 (53)
90x90x25Dcm | Royal Winton Silver Vintage Porcelain and Limoges Fine China Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | 2019 | Specially Commissioned for London and India

 

Celebration Of Love (50)
80x80x21Dcm | Lomonosov, Limoges and Royal Stuart Spencer Stephenson Fine Bone Vintage Porcelain. Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | 2019

 

Truer Levels Of Love (51)
40x40x20D cm | Royal Stuart Spencer Stephenson Fine Bone Vintage Harlequin Porcelain. Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | 2019

 

In love With Eve Klein Blue (44)
40x40x20Dcm | Royal Albert Cobalt Vintage Blue Fine Bone Porcelain Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | 2019

 

All Loved Up (47)
50x50x25Dcm | Royal Stuart Stephenson, Vintage Fine Bone Porcelain China. Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | 2019

 

Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue, I Love You (46)
100x100x25Dcm | Royal Stuart Stephenson, Limoges and Russian Lomonosov Vintage Fine Bone Porcelain. Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | 2019

 

Truly, Madly, Deeply In Love (45)
50x50x28Dcm | Black, Orange and Gold Vintage Fine Bone China. Royal Albert, Crown Staffordshire Fine Bone China Gold Gilt, Royal Worcester Gold Pie Crust tea Pot Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | 2019

 

Nostalgic Memories Of Love (44)
50x50x28Dcm | Black, Orange and Gold Vintage Fine Bone Porcelain Royal Albert, Crown Staffordshire Fine Bone China Gold Gilt, Royal Worcester Gold Pie Crust Tea Pot Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | 2018

 

Colours Of Love (41)
68x68x22Dcm | Multi-coloured Vintage Art Deco 1930’s Vanity Sets Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | 2018

 

Rainbows Of Love (40)
90x90x27Dcm | Multi-Coloured Vintage Art Deco 1930’s Vanity Sets Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | 2018

 

Love So Strong Like Gold And Steel (42)
100x100x25Dcm | Gold and Silver Vintage 1930’s Fine Bone Porcelain Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | 2019

 

‘I Have A Little Crush’ (8)
Sculpture 30cm Cubed | Multi-Coloured Vintage Art Deco 1930’s Vanity Sets Presented on a Table Top Plinth and a Perspex Cover 44cm Cubed | 2018

 

Car Cube Sculpture (59)

30 cm Cube | Vintage Diecast Collectable Classic Cars, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Mini, Rolls Royce Miniature Cars with 2 personalised number plates. On a White Marble Plinth 45 cm Sq and with a perspex Box 45x37cm | Commissioned for a Swiss Collector | 2020

Getting Smashed (58)

80x80x20Dcm  |Grey Goose Original Glass Bottles, Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | 2019

 

Fantasy of Love (37)
140x70x26Dcm | Antique, Vintage and Contemporary Perfume Bottles, Crystal Glass, Silver. Chanel, Dior, Guerlain. Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | 2018

 

Invaded By Love (36)
90x90x32Dcm | Russian Lomonosov Vintage Porcelain, Royal Grafton, Royal Stuart Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | 2018

 

Recital Ballet Performance (38)
68x68x20Dcm | Lladro Spanish Porcelain Ballerinas Vintage Collectable Figurines Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | 2018

 

‘I Have A Little Crush!’ 2018. Cube number (7)
Sculpture 30cm Cubed | LLadro Nao Ballerinas Spanish Ballerinas Collectable Figurines Presented on a Table Top Plinth and a Perspex Cover 44cm Cubed | 2018

 

On The Brink Of The impossible (36)
50x50x32Dcm | Lladro Nao Dancers Vintage Porcelain Spanish Ballerinas Collectable Figurines Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex box | 2019

 

Raising The Bar (29)
92x92x34cm | Nao, LLadro Signed Porcelain Ballerinas | Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminum Panel | 2017

 

Fragments Of Interlaced Dialogues (31)
52x52x34cm | Nao, Lladro signed Porcelain Ballerinas, Jesmonite, Acrylic, and Aluminium Panel in Perspex Box | 2017

 

‘I Have A Little Crush’ (5)
Sculpture 30cm Cubed | Black Vintage Wedgwood Jasperware Presented on a Table Top Plinth and a Perspex Cover 44cm Cubed | 2018

 

‘I Have A Little Crush’ (6)
Sculpture 30cm Cubed | Gold Lustre Vintage Porcelain Presented on a Table Top Plinth and a Perspex Cover 44cm Cubed | 2018

 

Unshakable Love (26)
70x66x34cm | Silver Royal Worcester, Winton, Windsor, Art Deco and Bavarian Fine Bone China, Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminum Panel | Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel | 2016

 

Precariously in Love (25)
150x65x40cm | Gold and Black 1940’s Art Nouveau and Royal Stuart Fine Bone China | Jesmonite, Gold Pigment on Aluminium Panel | 2016

 

Homage to Kintsugi (13)
134x52x31cm | Green and Purple1940’s Art Nouveau Tuscan China, Royal Stuart Fine Bone China Japanese Doll | Gold Pigment on Canvas Backed Board | 2014

 

Unchained Melody (12)
83x83x34cm | Gold and White1920-30s Regency China, Gold Art Deco Part Set | Gold Pigment on Canvas Backed Board | 2014

 

Metamorphosis of the Mundane to the Extraordinary (9)
69x69x31cm | Black Teapot, Pink and Green Royal Stuart, 22kt Bavarian China | Gold Pigment on Canvas Backed Board | 2014

 

Playful Rapture (8)
119x34x24cm | Harlequin Edwardian, Hamilton, Argyle and Tuscan Fine Bone China | Gold Pigment on Canvas Backed Board | 2014

 

First Broken Love (1)
40x40x24cm | Gold Fine Bone China | Gold Pigment on Canvas Backed Board | 2013

 

BROKEN

Complex and intricate, exuberant and elegant, Sandra Shashou’s new body of work, comprises of arrangements of smashed fragments of vintage fine bone china tea sets, Russian Lomonosov porcelain, Spanish Lladro and Nao ballerina figurines or German bisque Kaiser nude, dating back to the 1940s, 50s and 60s.
ABOUT THE WORK
WATCH THE VIDEO

Harlequin Romance (57)

90x90x20Dcm | Royal Stuart Spencer Stephenson Fine Bone Vintage Harlequin Porcelain. Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel
and Perspex Box | Commissioned for a UK Collector | 2019

 

It’s all Consuming (56)

 | Royal Winton Gold Vintage Porcelain | Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | Commissioned for a UK Collector | 2019

 

Fragments Of The Sky And The Sea (55)
130x90x10Dcm | Lomonosov, Royal Worcester Coffee Cups, Royal Stuart Spencer Stephenson Fine bone Vintage Porcelain.
Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | Specially Commissioned Work for Las Vegas USA | 2019

 

Sunshine Bright (54)
50x50x25Dcm | Lomonosov, Royal Worcester Coffee Cups, Royal Stuart Spencer Stephenson Fine Bone Vintage Porcelain.
Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | 2019

 

Shining Light 2019 (53)
90x90x25Dcm | Royal Winton Silver Vintage Porcelain and Limoges Fine China Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | 2019 | Specially Commissioned for London and India

 

Celebration Of Love (50)
80x80x21Dcm | Lomonosov, Limoges and Royal Stuart Spencer Stephenson Fine Bone Vintage Porcelain. Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | 2019

 

Truer Levels Of Love (51)
40x40x20D cm | Royal Stuart Spencer Stephenson Fine Bone Vintage Harlequin Porcelain. Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | 2019

 

In love With Eve Klein Blue (44)
40x40x20Dcm | Royal Albert Cobalt Vintage Blue Fine Bone Porcelain Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | 2019

 

All Loved Up (47)
50x50x25Dcm | Royal Stuart Stephenson, Vintage Fine Bone Porcelain China. Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | 2019

 

Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue, I Love You (46)
100x100x25Dcm | Royal Stuart Stephenson, Limoges and Russian Lomonosov Vintage Fine Bone Porcelain. Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | 2019

 

Love So Strong Like Gold And Steel (42)
100x100x25Dcm | Gold and Silver Vintage 1930’s Fine Bone Porcelain Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | 2019

 

Truly, Madly, Deeply In Love (45)
50x50x28Dcm | Black, Orange and Gold Vintage Fine Bone China. Royal Albert, Crown Staffordshire Fine Bone China Gold Gilt, Royal Worcester Gold Pie Crust tea Pot Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | 2019

 

Nostalgic Memories Of Love (44)
50x50x28Dcm | Black, Orange and Gold Vintage Fine Bone Porcelain Royal Albert, Crown Staffordshire Fine Bone China Gold Gilt, Royal Worcester Gold Pie Crust Tea Pot Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | 2018

 

Colours Of Love (41)
68x68x22Dcm | Multi-coloured Vintage Art Deco 1930’s Vanity Sets Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | 2018

 

Rainbows Of Love (40)
90x90x27Dcm | Multi-Coloured Vintage Art Deco 1930’s Vanity Sets Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | 2018

 

‘I Have A Little Crush’ (8)
Sculpture 30cm Cubed | Multi-Coloured Vintage Art Deco 1930’s Vanity Sets Presented on a Table Top Plinth and a Perspex Cover 44cm Cubed | 2018

 

Car Cube Sculpture (59)

30 cm Cube | Vintage Diecast Collectable Classic Cars, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Mini, Rolls Royce Miniature Cars with 2 personalised number plates. On a White Marble Plinth 45 cm Sq and with a perspex Box 45x37cm | Commissioned for a Swiss Collector | 2020

Getting Smashed (58)

80x80x20Dcm  |Grey Goose Original Glass Bottles, Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | 2019

 

Fantasy of Love (37)
140x70x26Dcm | Antique, Vintage and Contemporary Perfume Bottles, Crystal Glass, Silver. Chanel, Dior, Guerlain. Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | 2018

 

Invaded By Love (36)
90x90x32Dcm | Russian Lomonosov Vintage Porcelain, Royal Grafton, Royal Stuart Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | 2018

 

On The Brink Of The impossible (36)
50x50x32Dcm | Lladro Nao Dancers Vintage Porcelain Spanish Ballerinas Collectable Figurines Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex box | 2019

 

Fragments Of Interlaced Dialogues (31)
52x52x34cm | Nao, Lladro signed Porcelain Ballerinas, Jesmonite, Acrylic, and Aluminium Panel in Perspex Box | 2017

 

‘I Have A Little Crush’ (5)
Sculpture 30cm Cubed | Black Vintage Wedgwood Jasperware Presented on a Table Top Plinth and a Perspex Cover 44cm Cubed | 2018

 

‘I Have A Little Crush’ (6)
Sculpture 30cm Cubed | Gold Lustre Vintage Porcelain Presented on a Table Top Plinth and a Perspex Cover 44cm Cubed | 2018

 

Raising The Bar (29)
92x92x34cm | Nao, LLadro Signed Porcelain Ballerinas | Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminum Panel | 2017

 

Recital Ballet Performance (38)
68x68x20Dcm | Lladro Spanish Porcelain Ballerinas Vintage Collectable Figurines Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel and Perspex Box | 2018

 

‘I Have A Little Crush!’ 2018. Cube number (7)
Sculpture 30cm Cubed | LLadro Nao Ballerinas Spanish Ballerinas Collectable Figurines Presented on a Table Top Plinth and a Perspex Cover 44cm Cubed | 2018

 

Unshakable Love (26)
70x66x34cm | Silver Royal Worcester, Winton, Windsor, Art Deco and Bavarian Fine Bone China, Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminum Panel | Jesmonite, Acrylic Paint, Aluminium Panel | 2016

 

Precariously in Love (25)
150x65x40cm | Gold and Black 1940’s Art Nouveau and Royal Stuart Fine Bone China | Jesmonite, Gold Pigment on Aluminium Panel | 2016

 

Homage to Kintsugi (13)
134x52x31cm | Green and Purple1940’s Art Nouveau Tuscan China, Royal Stuart Fine Bone China Japanese Doll | Gold Pigment on Canvas Backed Board | 2014

 

Unchained Melody (12)
83x83x34cm | Gold and White1920-30s Regency China, Gold Art Deco Part Set | Gold Pigment on Canvas Backed Board | 2014

 

Metamorphosis of the Mundane to the Extraordinary (9)
69x69x31cm | Black Teapot, Pink and Green Royal Stuart, 22kt Bavarian China | Gold Pigment on Canvas Backed Board | 2014

 

Playful Rapture (8)
119x34x24cm | Harlequin Edwardian, Hamilton, Argyle and Tuscan Fine Bone China | Gold Pigment on Canvas Backed Board | 2014

 

First Broken Love (1)
40x40x24cm | Gold Fine Bone China | Gold Pigment on Canvas Backed Board | 2013

 

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