ART & SCULPTURE FABRICATION / THE COSMIC HOUSE: GONGSHI ROCKS

Three permanent outdoor Chinese ‘Gongshi’ rock sculptures for The Cosmic House in Holland Park, the house museum of renowned architecture historian and cultural theorist Charles Jencks. 

Gongshi rocks, also known as scholar’s rocks, are prestigious objects of contemplation often brought to scholars from remote riverbeds or mountains. 

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We studied The Cosmic House’s impressive collection of rocks and took silicon texture moulds, before modelling the forms in clay. A 2-part silicon fibreglass mould was taken of the model and rocks were cast in pigmented AC630 Jesmonite. Three shades were applied first as a gel coat to create variation and depth of colour. 

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We designed a miniature Cosmic House in 3D, 3D printed it and took a mould, before casting in Jesmonite and blending it into a cavity in each of the rocks.