Upon receiving photographs of the artists’ jewellery, I asked myself what information was present in them. Nothing of the weight or the dimensions of the objects was communicated, they could not tell me whether a given object was a ring, a brooch, or some other type of jewellery, and there were no clues as to where one ought to place these objects on the body. Seen against a white background – decontextualized and removed from any sense of scale – many of the objects actually looked far from being pieces of jewellery. However, images have their own material laws and are full of other information. Some of this information, such as that which relates to colour and texture, can conjure very tactile sensations – and it was from these aspects that I sought to develop a visual narrative.

In my visuals, images are manipulated in many different ways. Sometimes they are made into textures and applied to 3D models, and in other instances they are rendered on a 2D plane, distorted in Photoshop, blown-up, copy-pasted, etc. Whatever the outcome, the original object will have taken on a new form at a different scale. It may now be part of a digital body, a landscape, or a sky. The result is down to the combination of my own decisions and the conditions supplied by the software that I’m using.

My hope is that these visuals exhibit an appreciation for images as projections of the mind. As representations of the original objects they are unfaithful, but I see great creative possibilities in the gap created by processes of interpretation.

Aaron Patrick Decker

AARON PATRICK DECKER treats an ancient tradition of enamelling with irreverence and childlike freedom. Characterised by cut stars, messy colouring, and a youthful play – the jewellery is a statement to say the least. Bright colours, sawn out stars, class rings, dollar store aesthetics, and glittery gestures come together in rings, earrings, brooches and necklaces. A military brat by design, Deckers’ jewellery is an idyllic take on that rebel kid stuck in his room drawing flowers, tanks, guns, and rings. All while a band of men pass by his window ‘left, left, left, right left…..’

Colombe d’Humieres

COLOMBE D’HUMIERES was trained as a jeweller at Central Saint Martins. Colombe is interested in questioning the notion of value – especially the value of precious materials and their underlying foundations. Colombe looks at symbols – what they represent and their subjective value, which depends on the materials from which they are made.
Stuck as a maker, Colombe is evolving as a puppeteer.

Veronika Fabian

VERONIKA FABIAN explores the question of identity through her work with chains. Her intention is to allow the chain to escape or, in other words, to reinterpret its expected purpose. The original assumption regarding chains is that they often are subservient to the main jewel. Therefore, she transforms ordinary chains, still respecting their original values, but enabling them to form their own pattern and achieve jewellery status on their own. The collection Chains For an Average Woman is based on the notion of a woman’s relationship to self-identity, chained as it is to the female personas of our time.

Hiyu Hamasaki

HIYU HAMASAKI was born in Japan and studied at the Hiko Mizuno College Of Jewellery in Tokyo. He creates art pieces from daily objects that can be found easily. The city is full of treasures, there are more to discover. According to Hiyu, every little thing around us is a gem waiting to be found. There is a world of disarranged colours that can be glimpsed in everyday life. Neon in Tokyo, multicoloured billboards, garbage mountains in life… from the accumulation of casual colours and shapes such as these, you can feel the energy of the people living there.

Siteng Wei

SITENG WEI is currently a PhD student majoring in Gold and Silversmithing at RMIT University. Siteng is interested in the historical and contemporary role of jewellery and objects and how it can be used as an alternative format to depict different concepts and ideas. The material practice of Siteng’s research investigates how to use object-based materials to simulate the concepts and ideas of Chinese ink and painting and other Chinese traditional arts.