The premise for this body of work is to make all the pieces for this exhibition out of a 585 gram lapis lazuli stone, which travelled from Badakhshan to Peshawar at some point in the 70’s or 80’s, before the end of the Soviet-Afghan war.

The fact that the stone was exported to Europe via Peshawar is a strong clue that it was very probably smuggled out of the country of origin through one of the thousands of tunnels that connect Afghanistan to Pakistan. This ancient material used by the Sumerians, Egyptian pharaohs, European royals to showcase opulence, eternity, and power has no equivalent in the natural world. Its pigment, Ultramarine, once cost more than gold, and painters used it to create master works throughout the ages. As ancient and stunning as it is, it’s also heavily linked to corruption and the funding of many armed groups, including the Taliban since the 1980’s. Though, it is yet to be labelled a conflict mineral.

The necklace brings to mind mountains and tunnels, with its triangular offcuts turned into flowers that resemble the Arghawan (Judas Tree) become light delicate jewellery. Terrazzo tile pieces use the last chips and bits of the stone, before following Cennino Cennini’s 14^th century steps to extract Ultramarine pigment from the leftover dust collected from the water residue used to carve the stone.

Adopting the ‘nose-to-tail’ approach in stone carving entails utilising and incorporating every conceivable part of the stone in the creative process, mirroring the philosophy of ensuring that every edible part of an animal is utilized and consumed, as opposed to solely relying on high-value cuts.