About the Voynich Manuscript Series:

I am inspired by the Voynich Manuscript, an unsolved mystery from the 15th century. This manuscript is written in an unknown script, but I am even more fascinated by its enigmatic artwork that is unlike anything in other medieval art.

I bring the manuscript’s drawings to life in three dimensions, using porcelain, flameworked glass, and illuminated plasma. Each sculpture reflects a meticulous process and attention to detail, capturing the idiosyncrasies of the Voynich Manuscript’s original artist. These strange plants, figures and structures that I sculpt are clearly recognizable from the manuscript’s pages, yet their meaning and context remains obscured - until one day when perhaps we are able to read the text. My sculptures embody this mystery, facilitating a dialogue between it and the modern viewer. 

About this sculpture:

I am particularly intrigued by the Voynich Manuscript's drawings of women, because of how enigmatic they are. "Tethered to the Stars" is modelled after the imagery on folio 73r, which is part of the manuscript's so-called "zodiac" section. The emblem in the middle can be identified as a symbol for Scorpio, but this is the only recognizable element. It is surrounded by drawings of nude women holding stars, which are unlike any other known medieval imagery. 

Using hand-sculpted porcelain, I recreated the four most detailed female figures. They hold golden stars that reflect the starlight from a blown-glass star in the center. This glass star is filled with illuminated plasma from low-pressure krypton gas, energized by a high-voltage power supply. 

With the medium of plasma art I blend modern technology with medieval imagery, exploring electricity as an expression of a mysterious power that tethers these figures to the stars.  

Materials:

Flameworked borosilicate glass, krypton gas, phosphors, high-voltage electronic power supply, porcelain, glaze, gold luster, concrete base