This video shows the results of the Aug 2024 Art Dare: Jewelry & Wearable Art. Discussion led by Art Prof Clara Lieu and Teaching Artist Deepti Menon.
Prize Winner
I wanted to challenge myself to try something new. The pieces include handmade paper beads with hammered copper inspired by a recent trip to Niagara Falls.
I worked an hour or two a day over the last 3 weeks to complete this project.
Honorable Mention
This bracelet is inspired by human hair jewelry popularized in the Victorian era. This type of table hair braiding is often referred to as hairwork or “memento mori.”
The phrase “memento mori” is Latin for “remember you must die,” which inspired the title of this piece. Traditionally, hairwork is made with cut locks of hair of a recently deceased loved one and is to be worn by a close living relative to mourn their loss.
In my piece, I used my own hair, which I had collected from fallen hair strands over the course of many weeks; this hair belongs to a living relative of both British and Burmese people.
I made this piece to comment on the cultural genocide following Britain’s colonization of Myanmar, which took place during the Victorian era (the time that this jewelry was popular), that I feel has directly impacted my relationship with my Burmese heritage.
