TORONTO, /CNW/ – Nuhad Haffar-Orsini’s “Origin of Life“, a mesmerizing window display at 789 Dundas St. West, Toronto, is a showcase of Haffar-Orsini’s personal and professional transformative journey from graphic design to ceramics and welding, where deep reflection and raw emotions are sculpted into twisted, tangible forms.
Inspired by the life-sustaining mysteries of deep-sea hydrothermal vents, “Origin of Life” began as a personal project in 2021 and was born from a journey of healing. Employing art therapy to help navigate her own experiences of adapting to new beginnings—whether motherhood or migration to a new country— Haffar-Orsini’s fusion of ceramics and metalwork narrates a story of life’s origins intertwined with emotional renewal.
“Origin of Life” at 789 Dundas St. West invites passersby to witness emotions twisted into expressive art forms and explore the parallels between nature’s marvels and human experiences. Haffar-Orsini’s artistry, merging the precision of ceramics with the dynamic nature of welding, embodies her journey of understanding life’s profound layers.
Nuhad Haffar-Orsini, a multifaceted creative originally grounded in graphic design and fashion art direction, has evolved her practice into experimental ceramics and metalwork. Raised between Lebanon and the UAE and now based in Canada, her art explores memory, displacement, and emotion, drawing inspiration from biomorphic forms to create both strange and familiar works.
Haffar-Orsini immigrated with her family to Canada during the 2006 Lebanese conflict. Always viewing her sense of self and belonging as “transient”, Haffar-Orsini seemed solace through ceramics and began developing her sculptural practice. Later, she joined a collaborative makerspace located in Hamilton, Ontario’s industrial area, often referred to as “Steeltown.” Here, she was introduced to metalworking.
A friend introduced her to Steve Cope —a welder and metal sculptor with over 30 years of experience— who taught her metalworking techniques. Intrigued by the synergy of metal and ceramics, both earth-based materials, Haffar-Orsini began to experiment with how they could be combined in her pieces.
“…In a way, my current practice mirrors my life — it will always exist on a balance between two worlds. Blending the meticulous, slow artistry of ceramics and the fiery, impulsive nature of welding, each piece reflects my journey and my hands’ efforts to process and understand the world around me.”
– Nuhad Haffar-Orsini
SOURCE nu sculpture studio
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