FRAGILITY
Eiko Nakahara
Japan

Things 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 natural disasters in recent years makes us keenly aware of human powerlessness in various forms.
Here, I believe we must pause and consider what it means to be “fragile and weak.” A fragile house, for instance, is simply one susceptible to external forces like earthquakes or storms. Likewise, the human heart cannot help but be wounded by another’s unexpected words. The “fragility of the human heart” is nothing other than an inability to close one’s ears to others’ words, a state of being open to others against one’s own will. I believe “fragility” is a state where one’s very existence is exposed to the outside world.

Brooch « Wavering-Heart-1 », 2025
110×30×20 mm / 19 gr
Silver950, Stainless steel spring wire
Openwork
Photo : Shion-Kizuki

Brooch « Wavering-Heart-2 », 2025
110×30×20 mm / 19 gr
Silver950, Stainless steel spring wire
Openwork
Photo : Shion-Kizuki

More « FRAGILITY »

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 – Carmen Lopez / Spain

FRAGILITYCarmen LopezSpainMy weak point is the spoon, my creative vulnerability. Sometimes I want to escape it, but it assaults my mind, invades my notebooks, my house: metal, wood, enamel, glass. With its docility, it doesn't force me to do anything—I am just an...

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...

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 – Daye Kim / UK

FRAGILITYDaye KimUnited KingdomSibling relationships exist at the fragile intersection of intimacy and distance. Derived from sib (kinship) and sibja (blood + "one's own"), "sibling" embodies a paradox: they are extensions of ourselves yet wholly separate. This...

Fragility – Julie Usel / Switzerland

FRAGILITYJulie UselSwitzerland This work explores fragility as both a material and emotional condition — a state where tension, delicacy, and resilience meet. Made of paper-thin silver elements, each piece is carefully sawn and sewn onto a silk background, allowing it...

Fragility – Yuqi Fan / USA

FRAGILITYYuqi FanUnited StatesTo me, “Fragility” emerges in the dynamics of attachment, the way we rely on objects to express ourselves, cherish lost ones, and soothe insecurities. Through jewelry and wearable objects, I explore how these attachments reveal the...

Fragility – Anna Liu / USA

FRAGILITYAnna LiuUnited StatesIn a small city in Sichuan, China, nestled on the edge of the basin and surrounded by mountains, life unfolded among steep stairs and winding streets. The place once seemed ordinary, yet mornings filled with mist and distant peaks shaped...

Fragility – Barbara Schwager / Switzerland

FRAGILITY Barbara SchwagerSwitzerlandFragile 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...

Fragility – Elvira Cibotti / Argentina

FRAGILITYElvira CibottiArgentinaScars Wrinkle, tear, fold, break. When we hurt ourselves, it will undoubtedly result in a mark. Acknowledging and accepting those wounds is the first step to heal, to gather strength. Not only do the scars, the damage, speak of the...