Why spend seven months and five thousand Euros building a giant crown? Because I couldn’t get it out of my mind. I saw the original, hanging for the last 400 years in the Chapel of São Miquel in Coimbra, Portugal. It’s breathtaking. Carved by hand by who knows how many craftsmen. Untold hours of work. Gilded and hanging in honour of the glory of God. I saw it and immediately knew I had to recreate it. 

 

My goal was an homage to the original, true to the design and scale, but using modern tools, materials and techniques. So I traded wood, chisels and gold leaf for 3d printing, casting resins, silicone moulds and custom electronics. 

 

I created the circuitry myself, creating remote-control lighting everywhere - from the halo that lights the room to the up-spot and even the eight small gemstones around the circumference.

 

When I started, building this was far beyond my ability as a creative and a maker. But that’s exactly why I made it.