Amanda Ioco

Visual artist based in Astoria, Queens.

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Love You More #9

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Love You More #9

$45.00

One-of-a-Kind Oyster Shell (2 1/2" x 2 1/4"), resin coated, & hung from a 19-inch, 10K gold plated bronze chain.

US shipping included.

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About the series

I began using recycled oyster shells as my main art medium as I was working in restaurants in NYC; and although I dove into making large-scale sculptures first, I would always put aside certain ones that seemed extra beautiful. The meditative process I then developed while working with this material, would force me to reflect on the large scale at which we consume and dispose of most things. I’ve collected thousands of oyster shells over the past few years from just a couple of NYC restaurants and this material, which essentially a compostable item, is just one amongst many that creates a ton of waste.

The first wearable sculpture I made was for myself and one that empowered me to not only talk about my work, but also educate others overall about the effects our consumption has on our waters. This includes the direct history the Oyster has to the Hudson River running alongside NYC.

The title of the series, “Love You More” comes from a simple saying that my nana, cousins & I say to each other as we sign off from phone calls, but, has come to mean so much more. The connection and care I have for this city and the environment is as strong as it is to my family, therefore easily inspiring how I’ve come to name this body of work.

Each one-of-a-kind wearable sculpture sits in a bed of dried rose petals and is packaged in a square black box, hand signed and numbered. Shells are preserved in bpa-free Art Resin. Currently pieces are hung from 10K gold or rose gold plated chains, but I would be willing to create some with a higher quality chain if there is a demand for it.