“Nowadays, I find myself thinking a lot about fear. Fear has played a central role in human existence throughout history, but in contemporary society it takes on new dimensions, fuelled by factors ranging from technological advancements to social and political dynamics. Global warming, war, cancer, pandemics, AI and information overload, amongst other things, fundamentally change our lives and contribute to a climate of fear and anxiety. Sometimes I wish there would be a safe place to anchor down, where one feels protected, both physically and emotionally, and where things are stable and solid.

These thoughts motivated Clasp Me Firmly, Hold Me Tight, a series of enlarged jewellery clasps and hooks made entirely of chains. I use the language of jewellery to speak about the times we live in. I want to visualise our longing for security by giving the main role to the clasp within a jewellery piece, emphasising its function of securing the necklace.

The loose industrial chains are soldered together into ‘chain sheets’ that are flattened and then formed in a specific sequence of steps by pressing and hammering them into the desired shape. Contrasting this handcraft-intensive process with the industrial genome of spring rings, clasps and hooks, I am on a quest to look for the place of craft in a worldwide factory today.”