“The Vanities are an allegorical representation of death, the passage of time, the emptiness of passions. They reflect pleasure, wealth, power, thus evoking fragility, destruction, the apotheosis of death over life. Each piece is hand-carved from roots recovered and diverted to create unique works, the wood species vary (teak, acacia, birch), the work provided is a tribute to the fleetingness of time which is consumed and to the deceased. Skulls have always inspired me, the purity of lines, graphics and symbolism are a link between life and death. Creating a work from a uniform mass with precise gestures transposes me, the art of cutting and indenting the wood animates me. I chose a formatting on a base in order to bring elegance and sobriety, this element contributes to the understanding of the object it presents and thus gives it height and style. The vanities invite us to meditate on the fleeting nature of life." -Rodrigue Grego