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Artist Restores Shattered Plates With Spectacular Pen and Ink Drawings

By Sarah Currier on May 13, 2024

After accidentally breaking a plate, most people would throw it away; however, artist Robert Strati takes a different approach. He transforms shattered plates into imaginative pieces of art. With pen in hand, the gifted creative lays the fragmented pottery on his canvas and fills in the empty spaces between them with swirling ornate designs that match the patterns already printed on the ceramic shards.

Strati started this work in 2020 after accidentally dropping and breaking a porcelain plate that belonged to his late mother-in-law. Rather than throwing it away, he devised a plan to restore the piece of dishware and give it an artistic touch. After placing the broken remnants on a piece of paper, he uses a pen to fill in the gaps, replicating the designs on the plate with his own meticulous ink drawings.

Strati matches the color of paper with the pigmentation of the porcelain, making the transition between the plate and the canvas seamless. The result is an enthralling effect in which his drawings make it look like the designs have been blown off the porcelain and dispersed across the page by the wind.

Those interested in seeing Strati's work in person will be fortunate enough to do so for one more week alongside the world famous bronze sculptures by Swedish artist Johannes Nielsen in a dual exhibition titled Fragments. The art show will be on display at Fremin Gallery in New York City until May 19, 2024.

To keep up with Strati's work, you follow him on Instagram.