shira keret: paraphrase

”mortar and pestle #1′ constructed from oak and glass, part of the ‘paraphrase’ series by shira keret’

israeli designer shira keret, a recent graduate from the bezalel academy of art and design, has created ‘paraphrase’, a series of five mortars and pestles and a kitchen knife. the collection consists of two written works, ‘paraphrased’ into tangible manifestations– poetic interpretations of domestic items, comprised of several functional food preparatory pieces. within the mortar and pestle series, the first work is a glass pestle to be pounded on a rectangular mortar that also may serve as a cutting board; the second, a silver scraper pestle, releases crystals from a spiced-sugar block; for the third of the installation, a seasoned cast iron ball smoothly grinds a shallow oak bowl; the fourth work is a porcelain bowl receiving a rough-cut oak pestle tipped in silicon and brass; and the final piece of the collection is a carraca marble pestle paired with an oak circle.

‘i held the marble handle cool and smooth so smooth and cold it was pressed against my warm cheek.

coming to, i resumed bashing the clay before me, grinding it to a dust. every thrust echoing in the vessel’s veins the clay remembering every well-aimed blow.

like a cave woman i bash defiant grains piling them all to an aromatic dust heap.’

-poem translated by ron ben tovim. the mortar and pestle works of ‘paraphrase’ were influenced by this text.

‘mortar and pestle #2’ with sugar and spice cube and silver grater

detailed view of the silver pestle-grater of the second piece in the ‘paraphrase’ series

‘mortar and pestle #3’ made from oak and seasoned cast iron

‘mortar and pestle #4’ formed from oak porcelain silicone and brass

‘mortar and pestle #5’ consisting of an oak bowl and carrara marble pestle

‘winged dagger’ consisting of a ceramic knife and silicon handle

‘françoise de la salle, once there was who his wife he sought to avenge without pause into the room with a swagger brandishing a dagger began chopping onion vichyssoise’

-translated by ron ben tovim the winged dagger knife was influenced by a poem

a vertical view of the winged dagger ceramic blade and silicone handle