Emma Witter conjures modern alchemy with The Moon's Daughter is a Pearl at FUMI

Gallery FUMI presents The Moon’s Daughter is a Pearl, a solo exhibition by acclaimed London-based artist Emma Witter, on view from July 3 – September 6, 2025. Drawing on themes of transformation, ecology and craft, the show unveils a new body of work created from oyster shells salvaged from market waste—cast-offs now reimagined into delicate, shimmering sculpture designs through a process described as 'modern alchemy', according to the press release.

The design exhibition's title is borrowed from a poem by art and ecology writer Anna Souter, whose sensibilities align closely with Witter's own. The exhibition "conjures an ethereal space where natural remnants, myth, and human craft come together in delicate, tactile harmony," Gallery FUMI notes in an official release.

At the heart of the works are oyster shells, their humble origins elevated through a slow electroforming process involving copper sulphate, distilled water and electricity. The result: objects coated in glowing copper, with interiors hand-painted in pearlescent and metallic pigments, sealed under crystal resin. The effect is otherworldly—each piece glimmering like a deep-sea relic.

Copper, a metal historically associated with Venus—the goddess of love, beauty and fertility—adds symbolic weight to Witter's sculptures. Drawing on Sandro Botticelli's vision of Venus rising from the sea on a shell, the works draw connections between classical mythology and contemporary design. "In Witter's works, the metal becomes both medium and metaphor, echoing Botticelli's vision of Venus standing on a giant scallop shell 'as pure and as perfect as a pearl'. Each sculptural cluster invites intimate interactions akin to talismans, divination tools or good luck charms," says FUMI.

Witter invites viewers to see each sculpture not only as an artwork, but as an intimate object imbued with meaning—something between an offering, a charm or a mirror to the self. The pieces also carry a strong sense of community and sustainability. Witter describes the project as a collaborative one, shaped by her relationships with local farmers, fishmongers, antique dealers and artisans. "Happiness and beauty can be found when we make the most of what we have," she notes.

"We're thrilled to present this exhibition," notes Gallery FUMI's founders Sam Pratt and Valerio Capo. "Emma is an artist who has long held a special place in our hearts. Inviting her to transform the lower ground-floor space into an ethereal grotto feels like a natural evolution in our collaboration."