As part the Art Programme for of the renewal of St Martin-in-the-Fields by Eric Parry Architects, Italian artist-goldsmith Giampaolo Babetto (b.1947, Padua, Italy) was invited to create metalwork for the Dick Sheppard Chapel at St-Martin-in-the-Fields including candle holders, a chalice and paten. Babetto responded to the richness of the contents of this small chapel, which includes the sculptural altar by Eric Parry, and the bright tapestry by Gerhard Richter, with the discrete and contained designs of this metalwork.
Giampaolo Babetto’s metalwork incorporates hand-beaten sheet metal, an ancient technique that creates forms without welding, to produce self-contained, modest forms that allude to their liturgical function. The design of the candleholders obscures the direct source of light, creating a mysterious glow enhanced by the gold leaf interior and heightening its presence.
The artist states: ‘[This Process] gives
 objects a beautifully sensitive materiality. The chalice and 
paten are made using the same technique. This process of moulding starts to develop from working a circular form, by tenths of millimetres, beating in a spiral around the surface many times before arriving at the final form.’
The commission is part of the St Martin-in-the-Field’s Art Programme curated by Modus Operandi.
