Color
One of the special aspects of porcelain art is the way it
combines color with three dimensionality. Cybis artists
decorate each fired sculpture with paints which they mix
themselves. Ground minerals are combined with oil. For
example, iron is used for certain shades of blue. Copper
results in green. The shading on the sculptures will vary
according to the proportions of each ingredient used by
the artist and the firing temperature. Therefore, no two
Cybis sculptures are ever alike.
At Cybis the emphasis is on the
translucency of the porcelain, and color is used to
highlight its pristine purity. After the various colors
are applied, the sculpture must be refired at temperatures
which differ according to the minerals used so that each
sculpture goes through a series of firings. The final one
is always for gold, which incidentally, is 24 karat liquid
gold.
Final Steps
After the careful and slow cooling of the kiln, each
sculpture is inspected thoroughly. Anything which is
imperfect is destroyed. If the sculpture is found to meet
the stringent artistic standards of the Cybis Studio, it
receives the distinctive Cybis signature, the studio's
hallmark honoring the name of its founder.
Because of the difficult techniques
involved, the quantity created of certain sculptures may
be restricted. Sculptures in such a limited issue are
individually numbered for authenticity, a practice
pioneered in porcelain art by Cybis. When the declared
limit is complete, the designs for the sculpture are
destroyed.
