Your brand represents “austere solitude” in contrast to the chaos of the world. How does this philosophy tie into the concept of solitary expression and what you aim to convey through your jewellery designs?
My work has always been very personal and I’m lucky enough to have cultivated a small following of people who seem to really identify with it. I like to think of my pieces as statements for quiet or introverted people who favour the avant-garde or alternative things in life. My work has always been a kind of refusal of trend, consumption and noise. I make everything myself, by hand and this in itself is a solitary practice which is extremely therapeutic for me. I don’t have big production lines or stock. Perhaps it’s passe to say but I really put my energy into each individual piece I make; this is important to me. This in and of itself is a somewhat monastic attitude.
For an indigenous brand, the idea of making bold statements is often a device that amplifies creative narration. Using that as a tool, you must have created some impactful or thought-provoking pieces with meaningful messages. Could you provide a few examples of some of the pieces and their narrative that stand out to you, personally?
I suffer from cluster headaches and I live a very quiet and regimented life, so the writings of people like Simone Weil and Hildegard of Bingen really stood out to me as these mystical explorations of the real world through notions of discipline and asceticism. I really find it interesting to make adornment that requires attention. With a lot of my work, you don’t ‘forget’ you’re wearing it, its weight and size cannot allow that. And this kind of attention is required in the making of my work too. The flow of metal, the elemental and demanding labour of making means, in my opinion, that that item should be as consequential in it’s existence as the way it was created. I love to get lost in the making process, but I also try to be intentional.