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A craftsman’s blend of machine and animal magic

Roger Weber’s fantasy knows no bounds. The trained goldsmith has cultivated his authentic designs to a fine art. From animalistic jewellery to kinetic machines with names like 'Klara the Crab’, we take a look at a typical day in the studio of one man and his machines.

His love for nature and all things mechanical began in Weber’s childhood, when he started designing figures and drawing comics. Today, still gaining inspiration from his early interest in anything that crawled the earth, the Swiss craftsman has perfected his skills over the years to create designs that are often in motion. 

The ideas for his moving figures, which are driven by hand cranks or geared motors, are hatched at his studio in the village of Niederlenz in northern Switzerland. The tightly-packed space has all the tools necessary for the craftsman to develop his concepts, which often take a long time to come to life. His unique pieces and small series are commissioned for museums and exhibitions, shop window displays and theatres.

This year Roger Weber’s work, under the name Rotsch-o-matExternal link, has been nominated for the Jumelles Prizes 2018External link, which helps to promote Swiss craftspeople who use handcraft techniques and classical materials to create contemporary works.

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SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR