Contemporary Jewellery
Jewellery Collection Exhibition 2025 "Wild Home"
In Collaboration with Robyn Werkhoven "Wild Women"
DATES:
February 14 - March 2, 2025
LOCATION:
Back to Back Galleries
57 Bull Street, Cooks Hill
OPENING RECEPTION:
Saturday, February 15, 2 PM to 5 PM
Presenting a 24-piece collection of jewellery titled "Wild Home,” aims to deepen
the innate wildness within via the wearing of animal stories as adornment . This
collection speaks of my interest in human and animal relationships via stories of
interaction.
What Ya Doing Up There?
Recycled sterling silver, late 1800s pottery shard from the Thames River, Australiangreen sapphire, emerald, garnet, enamel-coated copper.
I am a child of colonials. My ancestors are from Ireland, Scotland, England and
Europe. They bought with them already formed ideas of animals and land and
proceeded to make the Australian landscape fit.
I learned directly about animals through my very early interactions with them, then
directly from my father and my colonial upbringing.
My family were guardians of many types of animals, in particular dogs, cats and
birds. I was well versed in the handling of many domesticated and native animals. I
spent a lot of my childhood in the bush and the changed lands around my home in
Tasmania.
I have been incredibly inspired and profoundly changed by my interactions with
animals and geologically collective communities of plants. I became interested In
the corridors between the garden and the bush through the interactions of
domesticated animals in my care and my ecological learning.
Wild Garden
Recycled sterling silver and copper, pottery shard from the Thames River (1800s),
Australian green sapphire, gold paint, and 24kt gold leaf.
As an ecologist, I am acutely aware of the impacts of habitat loss and the
degradation of ecosystems. I am at odds with colonial ways of viewing animals.
What remains of my early experiences with animals and the land is
disappointment.
There are multiple ways I have changed my mind on how I view animals. I had
been conditioned to view them through my colonial upbringing (“....They serve a
purpose; They are assigned a place in the home; You eat them, they will move on if
you want their land and resources”). Does that sound familiar?
The changes to my perspective arises from an understanding of the big picture of
colonialism; ecology; one to one experiences with animals; nurturing of my own
beloved animals and from awareness of the suffering, abused and displaced
animals at the hands of man.
I have since strived to cultivate better relationships to include narratives of
conservation and biodiversity. Lead by my understanding of our connection and
interdependence I yearned to provide a sanctuary for the remaining native animals.
Learning The Garden
Recycled sterling silver and copper.
I have been the guardian of 120 acres of fenced native land, somewhat changed
by colonial thinking, for 25 years. The property is held for conservation and luckily,
and with some management, there are areas of wildlife value still remaining.
This collection allows me to sort through past experiences of cohabitation with
domesticated and wild creatures, exploring themes of joy, respect, curiosity, love
and sentiment. I am seeking to change the negative narrative and promote honour
of animals through the wearing. My work tends to feel like a tapestry of personal
experiences and narratives.
The pieces symbolise a variety of habitat. No true specific habitat is rendered.
Rather than rendering the forms of Eucalypt or Dry Rainforest species, grasslands
or nectar plants, in this collection I put emphasis on the interactive experience
between animals. Representations such as forest, wetland, large trees, sunlit
spots, dappled light, seasons, the interplay of shapes, distance, proximity, and
other elements of nature are the back drop to the encounters. These are the initial
impressions of animal antics without the details of the individual dependance on
certain plants.
I want you to find your own personal experiences with animals that you want to
remember, heal or be inspired by, with the symbology of wearing them as
adornment, no matter where you were bought up.
The Big Birds Are Back
Recycled sterling silver and copper, pottery shard from St Albans, NSW (late
1800s).
I have chosen adornment as a medium for the message because it serves in the
sharing of stories and memories for both the wearer and the viewer, teaching
respect and value of animals. The message and reason for adornment is of
paramount importance.
I assign materials as a reference to past adornment uses and to the message.
My metals are 100% recycled. The stones are sourced from an ethical dealer, the
opals and Australian stones cut by myself or locally.
The juxtaposition of precious and found objects invites reflection on the values we
assign to particular elements of adornment. Such as our conditioned values of
gold, silver, copper; glitter and shiny, new, versus matt, rough, found and old.
Similarly I wager our conditioned values pertaining to animals are traditional.
I incorporate pottery shards to evoke a sense of nostalgia and to encourage
reflection on learned values and perspectives in interactions with animals.
The plate shards are from colonial times and invite further contemplation of our
complex relationship with animals as sources of food.
Sunny Wild Garden Garden
Recycled sterling silver, Yellow Sapphire, Solid Australian Opal, 24CT Gold Leaf, 14kt gold filled wire
My commitment to promoting awareness and respect for all species underpins my
creations. I believe by nurturing spaces to support wildlife, we enrich our own lives,
get in touch with our wild selves and elevate our consciousness.
A truly wild garden is composed of diverse elements that foster biodiversity,
providing secret spaces for wildlife to thrive and a corridor between garden and
bush. In this environment, domesticated pets can learn to coexist with wild
creatures, weaving a rich tapestry of peaceful interaction, instinct and curiosity.
Home Is Where The Fun Is
Recycled sterling silver, early 1900s pottery shard from the Thames River in
London.
While acknowledging the challenge of cohabiting with domesticated and wild
animals, It is my hope that the pieces also embrace the humour found in training
dogs and cats, to exist within the boundaries of human homes and adjacent to
wild animal habitat.
I have invested time in fostering the relationships, teaching boundaries. My dogs,
trained to respect the wildlife around them with the words “Family” and ‘Friend”
have peacefully co existed. I have many profound stories of domesticated and wild
animal interactions.
Included in several pendants is the presence of snakes as they represent the true
wild landscape experienced in my life. I have had many encounters with snakes
throughout my life. This has influenced my measure of respect for them.
A pendant featuring a snake captures the duality of fear and admiration for the
untamed aspects of both snake and the wilderness. It is a powerful symbol of an
ancient theme of transformation and women’s knowledge.
I hope to cultivate positive relationships with animals, using my pieces as tangible
reminders of their importance, through stories celebrating our connections. Each
creation serves as an invitation to embrace our responsibility as guardians of the
earth.
Representing animals in adornment and fostering environments where
humans and animals have equal value to exist could help change our relationships
for the better.
