FRAGILITY

Barbara Schwager
Switzerland

Fragile Moods
Moods come and go. They are subject to fluctuations and external influences. We cannot always control them in our favour—in other words, “just be happy.” Only we ourselves know how we feel—and often we have to present a different, socially acceptable version of ourselves to the outside world. We cannot simply live out our moods.

This brooch turns our inner feelings inside out. Recognizing and accepting our own changeability, even playing with it and perhaps engaging in a dialogue with those around us about our own true feelings.

Brooch « Fragile Moods », 2025
60x59x6 mm / 28 gr
Mild and stainless steel, Stone paper, polypropylene, Hematin, Poly n thread, copper, silver tubes
Sawing, filing, piercing, folding (copper, stone paper, polypropylene)

More « FRAGILITY »

Fragility – Denis Music / Ukraine

FRAGILITYDenis MusicUkraineFragility is a state of tension — between strength and collapse, between freedom and threat, between life and its disappearance. My brooch Black Cloud was inspired by the installation of Ukrainian artist Oleksiy Sai, which rose above the...

Fragility – Anne Blok / Netherlands

FRAGILITYAnne BlokNetherlandsThe fragile threads of memory Life is fragile; it is temporary and precious. This brooch tells the story of a young life, life in the bud and the rose that never reached full bloom. The brooch tells the story of a thirteen year-old girl....

Fragility – Norman Cherry / UK

FRAGILITYNorman CherryUnited KingdomDuring the Time of Covid, and specifically when we were all subject to periods of Lockdown, I had plenty of time to reflect on how we live and what care we take of our planet. I resolved to spend the time in isolation creating new...

Fragility – Einav Benzano / France

FRAGILITYEinav BenzanoFranceThis project contemplates HOME as a fragile talisman — a place that shelters and soothes, yet trembles with vulnerability and uncertainty. The pieces are made from mop floorcloth, a material that unravels thread by thread when touched. To...

Fragility – Jeannette Knigge / Netherlands

FRAGILITYJeannette KniggeNetherlandsWithin the theme of Performing Identity, I have created various body-related objects; each object highlights a different part of our daily performance. Fragility is often perceived as weakness, yet in my work it becomes a space of...

Fragility – Youjin Um / South Korea

FRAGILITYYoujin UmSouth KoreaIn the daily life of the beginning and the repetition, I take the center of my mind and begin to walk on the map I drew. A lot of steps that sometimes went straight along the mind map to work or recharge, and then back again. Create...

Fragility – Yael Ouliel / Israel

FRAGILITYYael OulielIsraelThe union of rusted iron and 18-karat gold reveals fragility as a fundamental dimension of matter and existence. The iron, slowly eroded by rust, bears witness to vulnerability and transience, while the gold remains intact, its value unveiled...

Fragility – Eiko Nakahara / Japan

FRAGILITYEiko NakaharaJapanThings we believed would never break often turn out to be fragile, brittle, and weak. We sometimes find beauty in broken objects or ruins. Yet even if we perceive life and beauty in fragile, weak things, witnessing the scenes of frequent...

Fragility – Joshua Kosker / USA

FRAGILITYJoshua KoskerUnited States This brooch is an exploration of time, place, and the residue of human existence. One of its components—a fragment of tile found in the ruins of Pompeii—speaks to the fragility of ancient civilizations and the lasting imprint of...

Fragility – Ute van der Plaats / Belgium

FRAGILITYUte van der PlaatsBelgiumMy mother was born as a Berglanddeutsche, a German-speaking minority living in the Banat, a region that belongs to Romania since the end of the First World War. In 1944 the family fled from the Russian invasion to Germany. I never got...