Genevieve Ang, Gellyvieve
Cobalt Fever
Celebrated for its alluring deep blue, cobalt is also one of the most sought-after minerals in the renewable energy transition, where the fast-growing shift towards electric cars is fueling a mad rush for the mineral. However, there is a steep price to pay for this wonder element. Up to 60% of the world’s cobalt supply comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where nearly three-quarters of its citizens live in extreme poverty. Children as young as seven work in small-scale artisanal mines severely lacking in proper regulation and safety precautions.
This work reflects the precarity of the miners' experience working within narrow, curved mining tunnels. These miners oscillate between the unbridled excitement of the discovery of cobalt riches, depicted in pops of blue, and the deep fear and danger of collapsing tunnels. The sculpture culminates with a blue ball that serves as both an indulgence of cobalt’s beauty but also as a final contemplation of the cobalt story.
Cobalt Fever (Ceramic with ceramic waste)
Mobile collection
Floral I — Vase (Ceramic with ceramic waste)
Double Petal collection
Floral II — Light (Ceramic with ceramic waste)
Double Petal collection
