Corphysia

 

This body of work reimagines the stethoscope a tool designed to listen to the most important sign of life, the heartbeat. Through a series of sculptural forms made from papier-mâché, plaster bandage, clay, and 3D printing. Each material was chosen for its unique physical qualities and symbolic associations, challenging the cold precision of modern medical equipment by inviting a more human, emotional response.

Originally invented by René Laennec in the early 1800s, the stethoscope was created to make the heartbeat more audible — to bridge the distance between physician and patient, and to mark the heartbeat as a vital sign of life. Today, in a digital world dominated by screens, data, and disconnection, that heartbeat remains a powerful symbol of presence and humanity.

By constructing stethoscopes from fragile paper, rigid plaster, malleable clay, and precise 3D forms, I explore the tension between handmade and machine-made, organic and synthetic, personal and clinical. Each material reflects a different way of relating to the body — whether soft and imperfect, cracked and healing, or sharp and fabricated.

This work asks how we listen to the body in a time where technology often speaks louder than the body itself. The heartbeat is not just a biological rhythm — it is a reminder that we are here, now, alive. Through these altered stethoscopes, I invite viewers to reflect on the act of listening, and to reconsider the tools we use to connect with one another.