Ingrid Donat Ooni

The Commode Ooni features delicate lines meticulously engraved onto bronze, covering the entirety of the piece from the interior drawers to the curved outer surface. This aesthetic is achieved through the process of wax casting, where the bronze has been soldered and moulded into perfect alignment. It’s a method that takes time, precision and an exceptional level of craft. Donat, plus a team of 15 artisans and a specialist foundry, worked piece-by-piece to form the complex and embellished framework of this masterpiece.  

Donat works predominantly in bronze and takes a masterly, painterly approach to the medium. Imbuing Art Deco influences, her surfaces are imprinted by patterns of repetitive circular discs appearing as emblems throughout her oeuvre.  Donat finds inspiration from the works of Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt and Armand-Albert Rateau, who have each informed the characters and intricate details in her art. This can be seen in Donat's Paravent Klimt, a special commission that has never been exhibited before and whose title pays homage to the late artist. 

Donat’s process involves drafting her design on paper and working with her team to translate the drawing into three-dimensional imaging. After this, she creates a prototype and revises to reach the desired shape and proportions. Donat then coats the prototype with wax sheets and begins engraving it using specialised tools that she has designed herself, almost tattooing the surface of the object with pattern. After this model is finished, an elastomer mould is made and the bronze is cast. The final stages are polishing, assembly and patination. The Commode Skarabee, one of Donat’s most intricate creations, is achieved by her signature casting method. Polished in patinated bronze and bejewelled in graphic patterns, the piece is immersed with a sense of warmth, vitality and texture – a contrast to the textural detailing of her surface and darker tone of the black frame.  

The Lampadaire Lam, a lamp crafted from patinated bronze and parchment shade, will also be on view in Paris and London, highlighting the artist’s penchant for conceptual alignment and detailing through its tall, slim form and exceptional level craftsmanship. Other pieces include the Commode aux Femmes Beliers, a sturdy and deep bronze cabinet, and Lampe Toltek formed with organic, textural alabaster, each reflecting Donat’s signature style of abstract pattern making.