AEGIS

Jewellery is generally seen as a way to attract the gaze of ‘the other’, but as a woman I’m fascinated by making beautiful jewellery that also exudes strength; referencing the protective instruments used by prey. The spikes of a sea urchin, the quills of a porcupine, the shell of an abalone, they all act as protection and power. However, I aim to elevate these materials to emphasise not the creature’s vulnerability but their strength, as of the women who wear them. Straying from the submissive and delicate beauty women are traditionally expected to possess, these pieces allow them to celebrate their beauty without being presented as garnished offerings to others. In short, my work stems from a desire to balance the beautiful and the intimidating, the traditional and the unusual, and comes from a fascination with the potential jewellery has to empower.