Shining DESPAIR
Arisa Inoue
Japan

Brooch “Our Treasury-crane”, 2024
Silver925, can, old fabric, silk string,60x90mm
Soldering, brooch making, sewing
Photo : Mirei Takeuchi

Brooch “Our Treasury-turtle”, 2024
Silver925, can, old fabric, silk string,60x90mm
Soldering, brooch making, sewing
Photo : Mirei Takeuchi

It’s not uncommon for darkness to cast a shadow over the human heart. Wounds inflicted by trivial matters, natural disasters, human-caused tragedies, war, death, and separation. The balance between light and darkness is always equal—neither can exist without the other, and neither can exist alone.

Even so, we must protect our hearts. From despair that holds the power to shine with an overwhelming brilliance. One of the fundamental roles of jewelry is as a protective charm, an amulet or talisman. People believe in the magical power that resides within objects imbued with wishes. My jewelry has a small compartment within it, a space where something can be placed to guard yourself. No matter the era or way of life, there are times when despair shines too brightly. We must believe in our own hidden magic and the power of objects, so that we do not succumb to them.

More « Shining DESPAIR »

Shining Despair – Marilyn Koch / USA

We Are A Colony is an uncanny …

Shining Despair – Jounghye Park / South Korea

The ‘Saves’ series is a collection created by layering and carving small pieces of silk fabric …

Shining Despair – Lily Pree / Greece

Despair is the lack of little breathless reflections.

Shining Despair – Pilar Viedma / Spain

As every year, at the beginning of autumn, the Mediterranean people know that one day the floodgates of heaven will open …

Shining Despair – Aimee Howard-Clinger / USA

The western world can be defined by the adage ‘knowledge is power’.

Shining Despair – Sara Shahak / Israel

« Flowers are weak creatures, naive. They reassure themselves as best they can.

Shining Despair – Misha McLean / Scotland

‘Repeat Prescription: 14mg’ embodies the quiet despair felt by those who rely on medication in order to sustain a healthy life.

Shining Despair – Katherine Hubble / Australia

Cultured pearls are created by implanting an irritant into an oyster.

Shining Despair – Sanna Svedestedt / Sweden

The Dropped Ice Cream brooches offer a surreal take on the iconic moment …

Shining Despair – Lena Lindahl / Sweden

Half of the world’s coral reefs have vanished since 1950.