Nile Fahmy

 Who are you?

I am a metalsmith. I apply traditional smithing techniques to base & precious metals to create seamless & fabricated vessels. The metals I use include copper, fine silver, 23k gold, and bronze. The techniques I use include raising, chasing, & repousse. These techniques are all aspects of the forging process. Forging is the beating of metal with a hammer between rounds of heat application, and it is the heart of my method of creation. My work is made by free hand hammering sheet metal into a new object of art.

 What drives you?

My metalwork is driven by ancient techniques, some of which date back to the Bronze Age. This means that I practice and preserve smithing techniques that are rarely seen in our world today. Every piece produced requires a great amount of focus, control, physical strength, and endurance. A single vessel may require thousands of hammer blows and hundreds of hours of labor. Each finalized piece of art is completely unique due to the nature of the forging process.

What inspires you?

I draw my inspiration from the patterns of the natural world. These patterns of growth, erosion, and decay are everywhere around us. By studying these patterns, I can use a hammer to be wind on stone, water on earth, or the gentle unfurling of a young leaf. The metal moves again and again beneath the hammer blow, eventually coming to rest in a new form, and finally the creative process is complete. Nothing is added, nothing is subtracted, there is only the metamorphosis.

 Why do you do this?

I create my metal artwork because I believe in the power and enduring beauty of a handcrafted object. I am making heirloom artifacts that will be shared across generations. By creating these metal vessels and objects, I am ever present in the human story. Joining the many artists and artisans who came before me, I am simultaneously pulling from the past, and giving to the future.