FRAGILITY
Beatrice Carlson
New Zealand

How do we refer to Fragility and how do we feel about it in our, somehow, judgemental, competitive society?
Looking at synonyms, there is nothing positive about it: delicate, brittle, frail, weak, tenuous. Fragility is what some people might see on the surface, so conveniently!
French poet La Fontaine wrote about society in “le chêne et le roseau” (the oak and the reed) and how the fragile/unpretentious shrub resists the tempest by bending whereas the strong/powerful oak breaks down.
How appropriate to find a porcelain shard rejected by the sea with a delicate bamboo print!
How serendipitous pairing it with a strong and nonetheless thin Japanese paper and protect it with a layer of bees wax!
Layers, transparency, shadows are part of my work making my Adornment for the Wall and (eventually) the Body pieces evolve constantly with light and seasons.
I like Fragility, I like the supposably vulnerability it suggests. It is like a whisper, they are both misinterpreted feelings/notions, they both seem delicate, obliging us to pay attention…they are in fact very strong.
My work is about recycling/repurposing , exploring the notion of circular sustainability, preciousness…and fragility

Necklace for the Wall and the Body « “the Shard and the Paper” », 2025
630x130x60 mm / 25 gr
Antique porcelain shard, Washi paper, Bees wax, Sterling wire, Czech fire polished beads, Cord.
Polished and drilled shard, Waxed and stitched Washi, Fired and blackened Sterling, Knotting.

Ring for the Neck «  »Boundary » », 2025
550x100x60 mm / 27 gr
Teacup handle shard, Beer can teardrops, Waxed cord.
Drilled polished shard, Hand cut beer can teardrops hand painted and stitched , Sliding knotting.

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