In my recent work, Hush, I explore the lasting effects of sexual trauma as well as the paralysis and anxiety that it can cause. I process images and fragments from my own experience, associating materials, colors patterns and structures to events and feelings that can be translated into physical objects. The tearing, holes and voids in each piece communicate the absence and loss of self the survivor encounters. These spaces create a desire in the viewer to interact with and penetrate the material, creating a sense of vulnerability.
Each piece is a representation of a moment of emotional paralysis, collectively telling the wearer's story. I use the jewelry format in this exploration as a means of control, with an emphasis on the brooch for its capacity to be read as a badge. The badge serves to emphasize the wearers' identity. By creating and wearing these pieces with the badge in mind, the traumatic experience becomes an accepted part of the wearer’s self.
I emphasize the impact of the experience using precious and domestic materials, which draw connections to familiar imagery and subvert their context. By creating tangible representations of emotions and associations I am confronting the viewer with the wearer's reality.