Lacquered steel.

Set of 6, each element signed, dated and numbered.

Available on our webshop here.

Philippe has delved into his heritage to honor both Christmas and Swiss pagan beliefs for his latest creation « Dolmens für Tschäggättä », a set of six functional sculptures, proposed in a limited edition of 250, each signed, dated and numbered by the artist.

True to his minimalistic yet visually striking approach, Philippe Cramer marries colour and geometry to convey joy, light and modernity.

Each dolmen works as a functional self-standing candlestick.

But when they are assembled to become one, the sculpture takes on a life of its own, evoking a poetic skyline, a shining city, with the flickering light of the candles symbolizing a beacon of hope.

The elements in the functional sculpture, as he describes it, are made of rigid steel and are powder-coated with luminous colors by the local craftsmen he has worked with for the last 20 years.

A little Swiss pagan history:

Tschäggättä is a mythical and monstruous character that exists during Carnival in the streets of the remote Lötschental part of Switzerland. The word can be loosely translated as “Amazing Being”. The origin of this tradition is hard to pin down – some say it goes back to the 16^th century and served to manifest against the political climate set by the local magistrates or stand for the return of the dead amongst the living. Covered in sheep furs, terrifying wood carved masks and bells around their necks, the Tschäggättäs pour ashes on the heads of their victims and sometimes steal food from homes.

Philippe’s love of the Swiss folklore has been part of his work for some time. He is proud to work with local craftsmen who continue to use traditional techniques to manufacture his art.