FRAGILITY
Marissa Saneholtz
United States

In this artwork I am referencing one of the historic purposes for enamels, to mimic gemstones and make color in jewelry more accessible while also considering the function of jewelry as a symbol of economic status. How much is too much? When does luxury become too excessive?
The country of The United States of America is on a precipice. The rich become richer, and the poor become poorer. Capitalism has run rampant and we are feeling the consequences. Some are flying in private jets while others work three jobs and are unable to feed their children. What will the breaking point be? Will these inequities continue to grow? The fragility of our economic system and humanity are being put to the test.

Brooch « The Price of Luxury », 2025
70 x 70 x 10 mm
Copper, vitreous enamel, fine silver foil, sterling silver, stainless steel
Fabrication, enameling, laser engraving

More « FRAGILITY »

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 – Esteban Erosky / Spain

FRAGILITYEsteban EroskySpainWhen our weaknesses, traumas, flaws, or idiosyncrasies are exposed, we become fragile. We go from feeling secure to feeling insecure, to being vulnerable. Always showing ourselves makes us feel insecure, which is why in my pieces I address...

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 – Babette von Dohnanyi / Germany

FRAGILITYBabette von DohnanyiGermanyThis piece talks about our identity, how fragile we are, our look in our individual face, our acceptance about ourselves. The research of ourselves all way deep but also never secure.Brooch "hello", 20237x7x2,5cm mm / 250,00 grAG...

Fragility – Alissa Goble / USA

FRAGILITYAlissa GobleUnited StatesObjects have a way of holding stories, carrying traces of memory, family, and identity. I’m drawn to the quiet power of the things we keep close and how they connect us to the past. Through crochet and metalsmithing, I use making as a...

Fragility – Sareh Zarghampour / Belgium

FRAGILITYSareh ZarghampourBelgiumWe give pain meaning through the moments we live with it. I explore pain not merely as a physical reaction, but as an emotional, internal state something deeply tied to human fragility. Pain is a personal and often invisible...

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 – Lin Stanionis / USA

FRAGILITYLin StanionisUnited StatesFragility can be described as the condition of being delicate or vulnerable. The works submitted for this exhibition embody these characteristics in their forms and associative meanings. In the work, “Seed of Temptation”,...

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 – 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...