Interestingly, what at first appears to be a destructive condition the objects were subjected to after they were fired in the kiln, is actually false. As we know, if porcelain is mistreated - for instance, it is struck by a sledge hammer - it instantly breaks into thousands of grainy particles. But in the case of the objects in Abuse, a violation of their perfect forms was what they were created for; the final specimens were never intended to be "perfect," but they were intended to say a lot…

Laurent states that the "vandalism" these objects are subjected to comments on the "ideological destruction" that occurred during revolutions, such as the ten year Chinese Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) or the French Revolution in (1789-1799). These times of unrest forced people to not just question the status quo but to subject it to unrelenting scrutiny which ultimately forced it to change. Exactly like these objects. On the other hand however, Abuse is also Craste's commentary on modern favoritism towards functional, industrial design over design with the mere intention to look pretty, in other words, function crushes beauty, so to speak. 

Beyond the visibly shocking, Craste also infuses his art with hidden elements intended to surprise. For instance, a close inspection of a seemingly serene pair of pink, dual handled urns reveals a line of bugs crawling around the gilded-framed central images. In turn, these images don't depict pastoral scenes but rather views of despondency, such as a destroyed castle and a dead shipwrecked migrant washed up onto an unwelcoming beach. Laurent calls this "subject substitution" and it certainly does fulfill its intended purpose: to make a strong statement, saying everything… without uttering a single word.