Tiles (#2) Sculpture

My cork series is a statement of my Portuguese origins. It's a coming back to nature, to raw, to minimalism, to simplicity, minimizing my environmental footprint by creating original artworks using sustainable materials. Cork is the bark of a tree (quercus suber, commonly called the cork oak). It's a 100% natural raw material, that is 100% reusable and 100% recyclable, extracted from cork oaks without harming the normal development of the species and without damaging the tree. The extracted cork is 100% harnessed. Natural cork is an environmentally friendly material that completely biodegrades. The production of cork does not destroy trees. Cork trees are not cut down – they are harvested. After harvesting, the cork oak undergoes a process of self-regeneration not seen in any other species. Cork is incredibly sustainable. The cork oak woodlands are one of the best examples for balancing conservation and development for the benefit of people and nature. They sustain rich biodiversity and traditional livelihoods, provide opportunities for development in economically and socially disadvantaged areas, and play a key role in ecological processes, such as water retention, soil conservation or carbon storage. This relief golden and raw wall scupture is done with multiple cork leather tiles, the majority spray painted in gold and some kept natural/raw. You will receive it "ready to hang", with a wood bar on the back. It is signed on the side and back and includes a Certificate of Authenticity.