DAZZLED ✦ CAZADORAS RECOLECTORAS

Self-proclaimed ‘nature-obsessed,’ Inés Bonadeo has been seeking inspiration in the faces and forms of the Earth for the past ten years. With a background in social communication, jewellery design and drawing, she has embraced metal casting as her primary medium, favouring techniques such as carving, embossing, and chiselling. While her earlier work focused on jewellery and wearable objects, she is gradually shifting her attention towards sculpture. Born and raised in Argentina, she draws on her cultural heritage, exploring aspects such as botany and its significance within the broader cultural landscape.

Shells, eggs and animal skulls are among the found materials Inés Bonadeo combines with metalwork. All of the works in Cazadoras Recolectoras, or Hunter-Gatherers, are wearable, reminiscent of prostheses and tools shaped to enhance perception. There is a horned skull perfectly aligned with a human spine, with the horns tracing the outline of the hip bones, alongside a headpiece resembling both a hearing device and a magnifying lens. 

As interpersonal connections fade in the glow of smartphone screens and social media posts, Hunter-Gatherers reminds us of the enduring power of connection, both with fellow humans and nature alike. Similar to the landscapes that shape us, teamwork and cooperation are woven into the fabric of our identity. Through her intricate, wearable sculptures, Inés Bonadeo reminds us that the connections we forge with nature, with each other, and with the materials that surround us are essential. The collection invites reflection on our place in the natural landscape, as well as society, and the enduring human capacity to adapt, create, and survive.