Inside The Design and Craftsmanship of Pigmentti’s Bas-Relief ⇒ Pigmentti is an artisan decoration company with over 50 years of experience. Founded by artists and craftsmen Noel Donnellan and Paolo Bello, their mission is to lead the artisan decoration revival by bringing traditional techniques and classic materials into contemporary design and craftsmanship. They work closely with interior designers, architects and private clients worldwide and specialise in natural pigments, frescos, painted decoration, murals, gold leaf, verre églomisé and bas-relief Marmorino. Today, CovetED brings you a closer look at their bas-relief work, as well as more about this incredible technique.

⇒ Subscribe to our Newsletter and be up-to-date with CovetED Magazine ⇐

The bas-relief technique was presented by Pigmentti at Decorex 2018 using Marmorino, a natural material that requires this skill to sculpt out the finer details. Pronounced bah-relief, the term originally stems from the Italian phrase basso-relievo which directly translates to low relief. Artists create a bas-relief by sculpting onto a 2D plane to create and accentuate figures and objects, producing a 3D appearance which can be viewed from all angles with little distortion. Alternatively, the material can also be carved from a 2D plane, a technique called Graffito. The prominent figures that have been carved into or added to the surface remain fairly shallow. If the subject appears to be more than halfway raised from its background, this is classed as high-relief.

Some of the earliest known bas-reliefs have been found on the walls of caves and are otherwise known as Petroglyphs. These works are some of the first known artistic creations of man and were also treated with colours to further accentuate the relief. Stone buildings and pyramids created by the Egyptians and Assyrians were next to adopt this style of work and bas-relief sculptures were heavily dominant in Greek and Roman buildings such as the Parthenon frieze which adorns the upper part of the Parthenon’s naos and features relief sculptures of Poseidon, Apollo, and Artemis.

Today, bas-relief is used for mostly smaller works and is largely combined with high-relief to gain a sense of perspective and to give depth to a piece. In luxury interior design specifically, bas-relief can be used to create focal points within a room, as well as enhancing walls, ceilings, domes, doorways, columns, water fountains and other indoor architectural features. No longer is this traditional technique contained to religious iconography and instead, artists like Pigmentti can create landscapes, architectural details or whimsical narratives within a section of bas-relief.

If you’re a luxury interior designer, this is a very unique and alternative finish to an interior that is sure to bring the wow-factor. The exquisite finish of this type of mastery is a talking point and it’s the perfect accompaniment to hand-turned wooden furniture and high-end marble pieces which have seen a resurgence in luxury decor over recent years.

See Also:

HOW THE WORKS OF KENGO KUMA REFLECT THE POWER OF JAPANESE ARCHITECTURE

DISCOVER THE ARTERY RESIDENCE: MODERN ARCHITECTURE IN KANSAS CITY

♦  CALL FOR ENTRIES  ♦

♦♦ Feel free to share your thoughts in this article and come celebrate design with us! For more trends and information follow and subscribe to CovetED Magazine! Follow us on our social networks: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Google plus | Linked In ♦♦

Source and Photo Credit: Pigmentti