Beacon

Beacon series

The notion of place makes me think of one’s place within a social fabric, and its influence on sense of self. We often ask ourselves questions like: who am I in relation to others? Who else out there might be like me? How do I connect with those around me? Jewellery– in its purest form– is a beacon which broadcasts our identity to others. It shines a light, signalling out for reciprocation from those who find its qualities, and potentially its wearer, relatable.

With Beacon, I’ve taken formal cues from historic lighthouses and lanterns. Once purely functional beacons whose purpose was to warn others to steer clear, my version is lightened in scale and spirit; hand-carved in clear and mirrored acrylic. A piece of the historical past becomes a contemporary social narrative of signals and receivers. The culmination of the material and message of this work is the sympathy of form and colour of each brooch, existing in direct complement to each other. They speak to connection between those who share both semblance and difference. The beauty and necessity of human relationships is the same: to share similarities and live with contrasts between others, keeping discourse and life in flux.