TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Platinum Guild International K.K. leader in marketing platinum
jewellery (Tokyo, Japan, President Hisako Hankinson), found in a recent
study that 70% of young females want a piece of platinum jewellery that
reflects their own natural shine1).
As
a celebration of today’s modern woman who shines in times of challenge
and opportunity, PGI have used the unique properties of platinum to
produce the Platinum Portrait, a unique and exquisite work of art.
A
behind-the-scenes video story of the making of the piece will be
launched on a dedicated web site on Tuesday March 4. (platinumsphereportrait.com)
“Platinum Jewellery Makes The Woman Shine”
Working with
platinum jewellers and designers across the world, PGI have observed
that a common theme unites every woman’s search for platinum jewellery –
the desire to reflect her unique personality and inner shine. PGI’s
Hisako Hankinson explains that ‘In a world where women face daily
challenges we wanted to celebrate the inner beauty, strength and
resource which empowers women to not only cope but to excel, to create
their own path and define their own successes. We chose to create a
unique artwork in platinum as its rarity and purity reflects and
celebrates the wondrous essence of the woman’.
In creating a modern artwork PGI builds on the incredible heritage of platinum which has captured the imagination of the world’s best jewelers. The piece uses platinum’s natural whiteness to create a portrait of a woman who strives to keep shining from the inside. The story behind the piece’s creation opens up the wondrous and beautiful world of platinum.
“Platinum Portrait Brought To Life By Top Creators Of Japan”
The
Platinum Portrait project was realized thanks to the cooperation of
various specialists including Japan's leading creators and top jewelers.
The Platinum Portrait uses almost 1 kg of platinum and is crafted using
approximately 13,000 platinum spheres ranging from 2 to 5mm in diameter.
Estimated to be worth JPY 50 million, this work of art is a result of
meticulous attention to detail and rigorous experimenting. It took more
than a week for the four specialists to manually place each platinum
sphere in the correct position to complete this work.
“An All Platinum Portrait”
An 1 kg platinum ingot is melted
in a furnace with temperature exceeding 1700 degrees. Undergoing a
proprietary process, the platinum is formed into individual spheres,
giving off beautiful sparkle as it is polished. The innumerable spheres
align themselves, and gradually, a portrait of a woman emerges. The idea
for the first-ever platinum portrait was inspired by women’s desire to
shine on forever, not just on the surface, but from deep within. What
better medium to express this universal desire than platinum, a
naturally white precious metal that doesn’t fade but continues to give
off a natural glow.
“The Making-of Video Reveals The Creative Process”
The video
showing the creation of the Platinum Portrait beautifully captures the
creative process from platinum ingot to an amazing platinum sphere
portrait. Please visit the special site to see the magnificence of the
Platinum Portrait's innumerable platinum spheres as they capture the
light and ultimately reveal the unchanging beauty of the woman.
(URL
: platinumsphereportrait.com)
|
• "Platinum Sphere Portrait" Overview |
||
| Material : | Platinum (Pt900) / 971.86g Pt ball / in total 12,658 pieces used | |
| Resin / portrait base part | ||
| Size : |
998mm x 772mm (With a frame) |
|
| 808mm × 582mm (Without a frame) | ||
|
Market value : |
JPY 50 million / US$500,000 (not for sale) | |
• Watch the Video Clip
Special site : platinumsphereportrait.com
Youtube
: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkfZClbHm3M
• Production Staff Comments:
- Creative Director :
Tsubasa OYAGI (SIX)
“I had made up my mind to create a
one-of-a-kind platinum artwork from the very onset. An unrelenting
desire to reveal the incomparable qualities and potential of platinum
inspired me to embrace a new approach for this project.
It was truly a learning experience to create something that does not yet exist, and the creative process where ideas and concepts flowed between Art Director Yuni, programmers, photographer, jewellery craftsmen and other professionals from different fields was a series of new discoveries. I am relieved that the work is now complete, and ready for all to see."
- Technical adviser: Kazuo YOSHIZAWA
"From taking the
ultra-thin sheets of platinum to create distortion free spheres, and the
polishing technique that brings out its deep luster...
This project
was a challenge in that it required a combination of highly technical
processes with equally high level of craftsmanship. The completion of
this project owes much thanks to the Japanese jewellery artisans who
developed their skills through many years of creating exquisite platinum
jewellery and have come to truly understand this precious metal."
- Art Staff
“It was intense labor just to count the 10,000
plus tiny spheres, the smallest being 2mm in diameter, and more so to
place the platinum spheres without the slightest deviation from their
designated location points. After much trial and error, we laser drilled
dot images onto the base acrylic board and then attached posts to the
spheres to secure them in the exact location. Even a little deviation in
the angle could cause the image to be distorted, so we worked very
carefully. You can imagine that placing the platinum spheres took more
time than we originally expected.
There were moments of doubt, but as the image emerged and the Platinum Portrait was finally completed, I was overwhelmed by its beauty. It is a very moving and brilliant work of art.”
|
• "Platinum Sphere Portrait" production staff |
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| Planning and Production | : SIX, Hakuhodo Magnet | ||
| Creative Director | : Tsubasa OYAGI (SIX) | ||
| Art director | : Yuni YOSHIDA | ||
| Photographer | : Muga MIYAHARA | ||
| Web site production | : Minoru SAKO (minsak) | ||
| Movie Director | : Shuji UEKI (Hakuhodo Products) | ||
| Movie Camera | : Yosuke KOINO | ||
| Hair & Make up | : Katsuya KAMO (mod's hair) | ||
| Producer | : Shigekatsu IKEDA (Hakuhodo Products) | ||
| Product manager | : Tomonori ONO (Hakuhodo Products) | ||
| Music & Sound design | : evala (port) | ||
| Model | : Annabell (DONNA ) | ||
| Production / shooting Cooperation | : TOKURIKI HONTEN CO., LTD. | ||
|
Maruyama Co.,Ltd |
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| Platinum technical adviser | : Kazuo YOSHIZAWA (Bee Products Co., Ltd) | ||
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1) Source : Report on Japan Big Ideas Quantitative Research by Macromill, Dec. 2012