Dossel is comprised of a horizontal panels of layered, cast Jesmonite honeycomb, that have been gilded with 23.5 ct gold leaf. The overlapping layers of the panels hang, emulating ornate textiles. Coryndon became interested in bees after learning about the current global crisis facing the insects. At once colossal and delicate, Dossel beautifully preserves the fragility of its source material.

Dossal is the term for an ornamental cloth suspended behind an altar. It is sometimes referred to as an alter screen. Dossel is inspired by the Pala d’Oro a golden altarpiece of the treasury of The Basilica at Piazza San Marco, Venice.

Sophie Coryndon combines traditional decorative arts techniques with modern innovation. Material and process driven, she employs multiple disciplines including bronze casting, painting, embroidery, and sculpture to capture elements of the natural world, rooted in historical aesthetics. “Basically, I’m drawn to craftsmanship in any form, especially dying crafts,” says the artist, “But I like to take those things and re-imagine them.”

Inspired by close observation, Coryndon’s work illuminates what is often overlooked.  Her enthusiasm for the organic intricacies ever-present in the macrocosm drives her tenacious ambition to transfigure the microscopic into the monumental. This practice of maximalism fosters her desire to, as she states “take things further, make them larger, make them grander, right to the point of lunacy. Insane beauty is what I’m ultimately after.”

As Coryndon works on a commission basis, custom works may be requested.

Medium: Jesmonite, 23.5kt Gold Leaf, Wood

Dimensions: 88” H x 86” W, 223.52 H x 218.44 W cm