Secret female hands casting mold

Can the bond between two people take on a physical form?

Can a relationship – so often fleeting and personal – be materialised to become tangible proof of that bond?

Adriana Lisowska has taken on this extraordinary challenge in her unique work Secret female hands casting mould. The artist has given physical form to a moment of intimacy by filling the space created between two joined hands with resin, which she mixed with sand and shells from a Baltic Sea beach.

The resulting cast is a record of a specific moment and gesture – an intimate closeness that takes on a physical form. The artist also builds the multi-layered nature of this relationship and its complex structure within the object using impregnated paper, photographs, acrylic and a string that holds the whole together.

Amber complements the work in a unique way. Although entirely shaped by nature, it fits perfectly into the space between the two joined hands. In the composition, it symbolises a precious secret. When we hold hands, and the bond remains active and alive, the amber disappears – it is hidden and invisible to the world. It becomes a personal, inner symbol, recognisable only to those who share this relationship.

To an outside observer, deprived of this personal context, the object becomes an artefact and a lasting record of history. We can interpret it as evidence of permanence and a tangible testament to moments past. Lisowska’s work, however, leaves us with an intriguing question: what role does this piece of amber play in our own history? Is it merely a beautiful, frozen artefact, or perhaps eternal proof that the most valuable relationships can endure for centuries?