Roses are Dead Paperweight

Roses Are Dead Paperweight is a glass paperweight, with artwork by contemporary artist Magnus Gjoen. The piece comes in a lined black box, embossed with the artist’s name in a gold design. This piece was first released in 2017.

Gjoen’s favourite motif - the human skull - is the central image under the glass dome of this limited edition paperweight. Emerging out of inky black shadows, the skull is emblazoned with beautiful baroque flowers, which seem to blossom under the weight of the glass.

Formerly a shoe designer for Vivienne Westwood, Gjoen is known for his subversive style: blending the past with the present, the magnificent with the macabre, life with death, Gjoen’s prints are dark, unsettling, and beguilingly beautiful. In his artworks, skull represents a modern-day memento mori: that age-old tradition of depicting skulls and skeletons to symbolise human mortality.

Encased in glass, Roses Are Dead brings Gjoen’s fabulous artwork to life, adding depth and texture.