Product Description
Decorative Veve Heart, Live & Love, Metal Plaque Wall Hanging Artwork, Original Collection, Handmade from Recycled Barrels 11.5" x 15"
Elaborately detailed, this heart sculpture is in the form of what is known as veve in Haitian culture. Veves are symbols which invite the presence of spirits. In this case, the spirit is Ezili Freda, the Spirit of Love and Beauty. She is powerful, seductive and greatly revered.
This piece is hand-cut from a recycled 50-gallon steel drum. To begin, laborers remove the ends of the drum and place them inside the remaining cylinder along with scrap paper, dried banana or sugar cane leaves. Igniting the contents removes all paint and residue. When cooled, the drum is cut down the side and flattened out to create a "metal canvas" of approximately 3' x 6'. From there, the artist takes over, chalking his intended design on the prepared metal. Using hammer and chisel, he cuts the form and with other simple tools, pounds out intricate decorative patterns. The finished piece is weather-coated so that it may be displayed indoors or out.
