FRAGILITY
Juan Harnie
Belgium

As a child, I watched my mother repair our worn clothes. My small hands would clumsily try to help, threading needles or guiding the iron. These moments were never about perfection, but about connection. Each patch, each stitch was an act of care; gentle gestures that held things together a little longer. In that quiet ritual of mending, I found warmth and tenderness.
That same spirit lives on in the jewelry I create today. My pieces follow a childlike way of working: loose threads, a hint of nonchalance, a subtle imperfection that recalls those first awkward attempts beside my mother. They appear delicate, yet they endure: strong, intentional forms that carry the softness of touch, the trace of care, and the quiet strength found in things that are almost, but not quite, falling apart.

Necklace « MEND07 », 2023
310 x 560 x 4 mm / 80 gr
Handkerchiefs, sewing thread
Hand- and machine stitching

Necklace « MEND22 », 2023
Single length: 450 x 3 mm / 20 gr
Handkerchiefs, sewing thread
Hand stitched and cutted

More « FRAGILITY »

Fragility – Malene Kastalje / Denmark

FRAGILITYMalene KastaljeDenmarkIt was after the storm. I watched myself in the brown puddle of water. Unrecognizable. A cloud moved behind me. A bit of wind and the surface trembled, scattering my face and folding it into small, moving pieces. The ground was still...

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 – Deniz Turan / UK

FRAGILITYDeniz TuranUnited Kingdom“To escape and break free, because we dream of a freer life, to grant ourselves a second chance, to leave the past behind or simply because life flows that way… Whatever the reason may be, alongside all other possibilities, migration...

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 – Beatrice Carlson / New Zealand

FRAGILITYBeatrice CarlsonNew ZealandHow 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...

Fragility – Deimezi Xenia / Greece

FRAGILITYDeimezi XeniaGreeceAt the heart of my work lies a philosophy that embraces the power of emotion as the catalyst for expression. My pieces are narratives, telling stories of the experiences that define us. The need for communication and understanding oneself...

Fragility – Amertah E. Perman / USA

FRAGILITYAmertah E. PermanUnited StatesMade in response to the exhibition theme, this piece provides the wearer ready access to tissues – a tissue when you need it.The vintage floral fabric mimics both the modern American floral tissue box (standard grocery store...

Fragility – Rikke Lunnemann / Denmark

FRAGILITYRikke LunnemannDenmarkHow Much Care Do You Need Today? A five-meter-long bandage gilded with 24ct gold leaf. You can cut into it – a small piece if you need a little, a larger one if the day hurts. It is jewellery, but it refuses to be just jewellery. It...

Fragility – Namkyung Lee / South Korea

FRAGILITYNamkyung LeeSouth KoreaThe plate engraved with photographic images serves as a mold that forms a single surface (or wall). On top of this, Jesmonite (an acrylic resin) is poured to cast the photographic image. The photographic image plate created in this way...

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...