FLUXIS Contemporary forms

by

Mariangela Murgia e Alberto Catalano

They are architects and designers. They founded their atelier FLUXIS few years ago. Their interest in the art of jewellery came to light, during a period of work they spent in Middle East. In that complex e varied world, they discovered the mysterious power of jewels to communicate cultures and identity.

They create objects in a dynamic and fluid shape that evocate natural phenomena and their inner tensions. Like the soil cracking, the growing of a plant, the action of the wind, the breaking of a wall, the weaving of a carpet, the twisting of a rope….

By means of modeling and 3D printing technologies Fluxis can create extremely diverse and complex objects.

They use filament machines with additive technology: layers measuring a fraction of a millimeter are progressively poured one over the other for several hours until they form the finished object. These layers, visible only upon close examination, can be considered the textile weave, the grain of the material. They use mainly the PLA, a crystalline polymer, a biodegradable and ecological material obtained from vegetables, mainly corn.

To obtain a more interesting finish, they refine the material with various progressive surface treatments such as sanding, brushing, and polishing, instead of a varnish that would cover the layers.

Thanks to these manual operations, they can achieve a “natural” material that features variable, nuanced, and deep colors where light exalts the form.

In the collection Beyond the Armour, to which this piece belongs, our research focuses on the ambiguity of form, emphasizing how jewelry fully defines itself only in the act of being worn. Outside this intimate relationship with the body, it exists as an autonomous form—an object, a sculpture. Wearing is not a neutral gesture; rather, it is a meaningful and expressive act, capable of revealing the dual nature of the object. This process is further intensified through the demand for active participation: the wearer is not merely a passive observer but becomes an integral part of its transformation, shaping its form and establishing an emotional bond with it.

“A person may live either on one side of their armour or the other. When living on the inside of the armour, they are prisoners of their defences and the rigidity these impose. When living beyond the armour, they are in touch with their emotions, their vitality, and their authenticity.”

Bioenergetics – Alexander Lowen.

We have represented this "armour" through a series of vessels with dark, rugged surfaces. Like a vessel, the human body is a container of emotions and vulnerabilities, always partially shielded by an external layer that defines its boundaries. Just as a vessel holds its contents, the body is wrapped in clothing.

Traditional garments, uniforms, and costumes symbolically reflect roles, identities, and affiliations. These garments often become true armors: protective layers that, while emotionally and culturally significant, constrain the expression of interiority and sensuality. They impose a social mask, a veil that distances the individual from the outside world, stifling the most intimate nuances of being and reducing existence to duty and restraint.


Thus, the act of wearing our jewelry becomes a gesture of breaking through the armor—the choice, as Lowen suggests, to live beyond it. What was hidden is revealed: forms, materials, and colors become representations of inner and cosmic concepts. In this gesture, jewelry becomes a symbol of transcendence—a passage beyond imposed limits toward deep and authentic self-expression.