Wearables

This project was a jewellery live brief with the Association of Contemporary Jewellery and the Crafts Council in response to the Multiple Messages and Meanings exhibition at the Mission Gallery in Swansea. I wanted this jewellery piece to highlight the burden of expectations on women. A woman is expected by society to be the perfect balance of contradictions – strong yet soft, patient yet efficient, sexy yet modest – of which elements are reflected in this pleated neck/back piece. The pleated forms begin at the front of the neck, restrictively fastened with vintage corset hooks before arching across the shoulders to reach the back, where the two pieces connect to form a spine-like form. This arrangement represents the restrictive weight of trying to keep up with endless societal expectations, with the vintage corset hooks and coquettish, flesh-coloured satin also giving a nod to feminine sexuality and the male gaze.

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Studio photographer: Laurentina Miksys