Fire Place
Marrakesh, Morocco (2021)
Created as a monumental architectural centrepiece, this site-specific fireplace sculpture combines functional engineering with sculptural craftsmanship and concealed illumination. Designed as a large rectangular composition projecting from the wall, the work integrates a fully operational fireplace and hidden chimney system within an intricately layered brass structure. Conceived not as a decorative surround but as an illuminated sculptural intervention, the piece transforms the traditional fireplace into an enigmatic architectural presence where fire, light, and ornament become part of a single unified composition.
The structure was fabricated entirely by hand using multiple layers of hand-sawn and hand-engraved brass. The principal outer composition was executed in deeply worked 5mm brass sheets establishing the larger floral geometry of the piece, while secondary 2mm brass layers introduce finer floral motifs that create a second visual reading within the openwork structure. Every element was individually sawn and engraved before being assembled into a concealed illuminated system incorporating hidden plexiglass diffusers and integrated lighting. A recessed fire chamber clad entirely in engraved 5mm brass accommodates the functional fireplace itself, while the chimney and smoke extraction systems remain entirely concealed behind the structure. Positioned asymmetrically towards the upper section, a monumental hand-sawn Fibonacci medallion acts as a sculptural focal point within the composition.
Although highly complex in construction, the final work retains a remarkable sense of lightness and transparency. The engraved brass surfaces are illuminated externally by discreet ceiling lighting, allowing the work to be perceived as a monumental sculptural relief, while the concealed internal backlighting reveals the depth and intricacy of the layered sawn patterns from within. Light passes selectively through both the larger 5mm motifs and the finer 2mm floral structures behind them, creating shifting densities of shadow and translucency across the surface. The lighting systems remain entirely separated from the fireplace and chimney mechanisms concealed behind the composition, ensuring that heat, smoke, and combustion never interact with the illuminated elements. The work exemplifies Yahya’s approach to transforming highly technical architectural requirements into sculptural environments through uncompromising hand craftsmanship.
Photography Credit: Emilio Rouach
Fire Place
Marrakesh, Morocco (2021)
Created as a monumental architectural centrepiece, this site-specific fireplace sculpture combines functional engineering with sculptural craftsmanship and concealed illumination. Designed as a large rectangular composition projecting from the wall, the work integrates a fully operational fireplace and hidden chimney system within an intricately layered brass structure. Conceived not as a decorative surround but as an illuminated sculptural intervention, the piece transforms the traditional fireplace into an enigmatic architectural presence where fire, light, and ornament become part of a single unified composition.
The structure was fabricated entirely by hand using multiple layers of hand-sawn and hand-engraved brass. The principal outer composition was executed in deeply worked 5mm brass sheets establishing the larger floral geometry of the piece, while secondary 2mm brass layers introduce finer floral motifs that create a second visual reading within the openwork structure. Every element was individually sawn and engraved before being assembled into a concealed illuminated system incorporating hidden plexiglass diffusers and integrated lighting. A recessed fire chamber clad entirely in engraved 5mm brass accommodates the functional fireplace itself, while the chimney and smoke extraction systems remain entirely concealed behind the structure. Positioned asymmetrically towards the upper section, a monumental hand-sawn Fibonacci medallion acts as a sculptural focal point within the composition.
Although highly complex in construction, the final work retains a remarkable sense of lightness and transparency. The engraved brass surfaces are illuminated externally by discreet ceiling lighting, allowing the work to be perceived as a monumental sculptural relief, while the concealed internal backlighting reveals the depth and intricacy of the layered sawn patterns from within. Light passes selectively through both the larger 5mm motifs and the finer 2mm floral structures behind them, creating shifting densities of shadow and translucency across the surface. The lighting systems remain entirely separated from the fireplace and chimney mechanisms concealed behind the composition, ensuring that heat, smoke, and combustion never interact with the illuminated elements. The work exemplifies Yahya’s approach to transforming highly technical architectural requirements into sculptural environments through uncompromising hand craftsmanship.