Indira Cesarine was invited to create a sculpture for the celebrated pubic art exhibit and fundraiser, the Fabergé Big Egg Hunt, which took place throughout New York City in April 2014. The innovative fundraising exhibit and auction featured over 200 large egg sculptures, each designed by globally renowned artists, designers, and creatives, which were placed throughout New York City’s five boroughs from April 1st – April 26th. Other participating artists included Jeff Koons, Zaha Hadid, Tracey Emin, Francesco Clemente, Jacques Torres, Jay Godfrey, Julian Schnabel, Maggie Norris, Marc Quinn, Martha Stewart, Naeem Khan, and Peter Beard, among many others. The “Egg of Light” sculpture created for the Fabergé Big Egg Hunt by Indira Cesarine was exhibited at Rockefeller Center. Over 2000 glass globes and 5000 Swarovski crystals were individually applied in a perfect mathematical formation to reflect and refract particles of light, as if the sculpture was illuminated from the inside out. ARTIST STATEMENT ON “THE EGG OF LIGHT” “As an artist I have always been inspired by light particles and the impact of light on objects, as well as the overall universal meaning behind light and the beauty it creates. Light is the universe, and is inherent in our everyday lives, yet is often taken for granted. The “Egg of Light” is not only inspired by the breathtaking beauty of light, it is an ode to light as communication, as a form of emotional impact, and its ever-changing multifaceted nature. The Fabergé Big Egg Hunt culminated with a spectacular auction of the collectible and one-of-a-kind egg sculptures, held by Sotheby’s and online via Paddle8. Created as an innovative and engaging platform to raise funds for the Elephant Family, a charity devoted to protecting and reconnecting Asia’s most important forests for elephants and for all of the animals who share them, as well as other non-profits, The Fabergé Big Egg Hunt caused a frenzy in London in 2012, set two Guinness World Record Titles and ultimately raised over $1.5 million for charity. The 2014 hunt in New York benefited both Elephant Family and Studio in a School, a charity dedicated to providing students with a full and meaningful visual arts experience. For more on the public art exhibit visit the official websites:
The Egg of Light effectively refracts light from all angles, and as the light of the sun moves throughout the day, the egg transforms, reflecting and refracting light, giving each viewer of the egg a new experience that is original, spontaneous, and mesmerizing. It draws one in as the light sparkles around its globular form. The piece reflects, refracts, and absorbs light – causing a heightened perception of depth and dimensionality. As light is absorbed and refracted it illuminates and ignites the egg in such a way that it appears to be glowing from the inside out, enlightened.
The surface of the fiberglass egg is covered with thousands of custom-made glass orbs juxtaposed with Swarovski crystals that emphasize the reflections and refractions of light. The refractions (the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another) caused by the glass and crystals mold light into different shapes, refracted into multi-faceted patterns when in a daylight environment or if the light is pointed at the sculpture.
This play of light on the egg’s surface effectively mirrors our own world and our perceptions, a perceptual illusion around the surface of something simple and pure. Refractions also allow for dispersion, the separation of white light into color, creating ephemeral rainbows that add to the illuminating effect of the egg. Using glass and crystal as an extension of light the sculpture becomes a kinetic art form. Light in any daylight setting is constantly changing, thus changing the entire piece. These mediums also interact with movement in the environment around them, thus the exterior imagery of the piece is ever-changing.
The juxtaposition of crystals with the glass on the surface will emphasize this reflective nature, as the bending of light as it crosses the boundary into a different medium is determined by its refractive index. Crystal is a highly transparent glass and due to its multifaceted surface, it has a high refractive index giving it the illusion of fire and brilliance as light is refracted, propagated in many different directions, and dispersed across its surface. Using crystal in addition to glass as a medium for refraction enhances the play of light and illumination of the sculpture.” – Indira Cesarine
