Lukasz SUROWIEC (b. 1985), Diamient, 2015

charcoal; 9.5 x 10 x 10.5 cm;
Signature and edition on the side: Ł. SUROWIEC / 15/100.

Surowiec began creating "coal diamonds" as part of the Black Diamonds art project, conducted in 2012 - 2013. Together with three unemployed miners from Bytom, the artist transformed a ton of coal into lumps polished in this decorative way, which were sold as souvenirs in one of Katowice's shopping malls, established on the site of a former mine. The diamond shape seemed, perhaps somewhat ironically, to emphasize the role of Silesia's precious natural resources, the local "black gold." The design also drew attention to the situation of former miners and, paradoxically, restored their position in the free market.