Armand Gachet was born in Mauritius in 1975. He was raised in South Africa and has worked in advertising, graphic design and illustration. He spent several years in India assisting Food for Life and later moved to Kazakhstan to work on an ambitious Vedic farm project. He moved back to Mauritius in 2003, where he continued his professional career as a designer and artist, working in particular on murals, live art and sculptures. Armand Gachet’s life has been an amalgamation of different cultural experiences. As a Caucasian born in an African land, he believes that his identity is the sum of his experiences rather than of his appearance. His goals, ambitions, and understanding of life are a multitude of essential fragments hung together to create a whole. Armand breathes in the cultures of the Earth while leaving aside notions of caste, race or creed. In his work, he asks: Who am I from within? What is the actual culture of life? The resulting posture represents liberation – the struggle to throw off one’s fetters despite appearing to be free. He deliberately allowed the clay to crack to reflect the effects of time on a temporary form. The clay piece was then moulded into silicone then cast in crystal resin. The final cast piece has a transparent glass-like feel. Objects that reflect the artist’s cultural influences, life experiences and day to day journey have been placed in the resin by the hundreds. The piece is intended to reflect the fact that we are what we have learned, and that the big picture is made up of all of life’s little things.