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 – Yasuko Kanno / Japan

FRAGILITYYasuko KannoJapanEven the most perfectly formed creation will one day perish. Glass and ceramics will shatter, metal will rust, and every living being will eventually face death. Although it often happens unexpectedly, in reality, it is predetermined from the...

Fragility – Into Niilo / Belgium

FRAGILITYInto NiiloBelgiumThis work consists of a pair of interlocking knuckledusters that form a single solid object when pressed together. When separated, the phrase I wanna choose love | instead of fear becomes legible. The object is a 3D-printed steel puzzle...

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 – 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 – 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 – Noa Yankovitch / Israel

FRAGILITYNoa YankovitchIsraelMy work examines the tension between closeness and distance, the fragile space where connection and separation coexist. I'm interested in how intimacy changes shape when it’s tested: when presence becomes absence, when touch turns into...

Fragility – Agne Zaltauskaite / Lithuania

FRAGILITYAgne ZaltauskaiteLithuaniaIn my practice, I explore the hole as a metaphor for the unknown — a fragile space where certainty dissolves. To be within the unknown is to be exposed, vulnerable, and open to transformation.Not knowing, doubting, being uncertain —...

Fragility – Pilar Viedma / Spain

FRAGILITYPilar ViedmaSpainIn my work, I explore different ways of applying color to metal with the aim of demonstrating that, in artistic jewelry, what matters is not the material itself, but its ability to communicate with it. A few years ago, I began using the...

Fragility – Luisa Mucedola / Italy

FRAGILITYLuisa MucedolaItalyThrough tempered glass – strong yet vulnerable – I explore the human condition, its balance between resistance and dissolution.In each crack and fragment, I find the truth of living: strength born from limits, beauty emerging when...

Fragility – Kamile Staneliene / Lithuania

FRAGILITYKamile StanelieneLithuaniaSometimes in life, we face moments when we feel completely shattered and broken inside. There are times when we manage to stand up on our own and piece ourselves back together after difficult experiences, and other times when we need...