Artist Rachel Whiteread Conceives an Array of Silver Pieces for Puiforcat
The striking assortment of gleaming tabletop pieces draws influence from the tactile symmetry of cardboard
Known for her true-to-scale sculptures of banal objects and structures—including water towers and cookie-cutter houses—Rachel Whiteread collaborated with famed French silver maker Puiforcat for a transfixing collection that offers trays, tumblers, napkin rings, and a pitcher. For the assortment, the artist found inspiration in a humble roll of cardboard, something ostensibly at odds with the gleaming perfection of the maison.
“ The malleability of that material seemed the opposite of sterling silver, so it was interesting to see what could be made solid,” says Whiteread. Corrugated cardboard’s typical channeled grooves become alluringly pronounced in the resulting creations, which elevate the everyday with a fascinating twist.
A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2025 Late Fall Issue under the headline “Sterling Character.” Subscribe to the magazine.