Kristina’s conceptual and narrative-led artworks engage the viewer in playful perceptions on material preciousness. Her graduate collection Vision of Beauty is a narrative jewellery-mise-en-scène themed scour of the street.
These pieces are imbued with realism and materiality. The objects and jewellery pieces highlight a message on societal norms of littering single-use plastic and disregarded objects found along the cracks of the concrete pavement. From the most littered item on earth, the cigarette filter, to pavement pennies, these pieces aim to spark a conversation about what is considered precious material, but with a humorous intention.
The collection aims to highlight organic material preciousness, usually precious material is considered as gold and diamond, whereas amber and bone are disregarded as precious materials in jewellery. Both bone and amber can be easily carved with similar techniques.
The brooches use raw amber to represent the cigarette filter, (alluding to the traditional amber smoking pipes), the amber is initially formed on a grinding machine and then using pendant drill for fine details. Silver is thinly rolled, oxidised and manipulated to emulate burnt or crinkled paper, with the ground waste amber used as tobacco filling. 24k gold is applied referring to the Marlboro Gold cigarette through the technique Keum-boo.
Buffalo bone is carved from repurposed objects such as, game counter, guitar saddle and a vintage letter opener to replicate chewing gum. One-of-a-kind bottle cap tool was spun on the lathe and then carved into create the fold creases, the badges have unique forms to reflect the distressed and found, coloured by enamelling, brand logos is created on illustrator with a play on words and applied through laser decal and finished with oxidising.
