Shining DESPAIR
Clara del Papa
Italy-Venezuela

Brooch “Eclipse de luna clara”, 2024
Silver 925, patinas, Hawk’s Eye Quartz, pure gold, 995x60x35mm
Lost wax
Photo : Fabio zonta

Slip-on ring “Refugio claro”, 2024
Silver 925, natural patina, Black tourmaline, pure gold, 75x40x50mm
Lost wax
Photo : Fabio Zonta

My work explores the delicate balance between darkness and light, a journey that mirrors the cycle of the moon’s phases and the refuge we seek in moments of fragility. Each creation is a metamorphosis, rooted in shadow, only to rise into the light.

It is not merely a contrast, but a profound union of the opposing forces that shape our existence. I delve into the tension between pain and rebirth, between the stillness before transformation and the light that follows. The forms gather in intimate spaces, holding secrets that only silence can reveal. Each piece tells of a path that does not shy away from suffering, but welcomes it, transforms it, and turns it into a source of beauty that springs from the heart of our vulnerability.
This process invites us to rediscover the light within, reminding us that true beauty emerges from what we are willing to embrace and transform, much like the day that always follows the night. Every scar, every shard of light rising from the darkness, becomes a testament to resilience—a call to look beyond the surface and recognize the hidden beauty in our moments of greatest fragility.

More « Shining DESPAIR »

Shining Despair – Jina Seo / USA-South Korea

My work reveals inner conflict and suffering by contrasting societal expectations with the personal turmoil I often experience.

Shining Despair – Carmen Lopez / Spain

Spinning reflections on the title of the competition.

Shining Despair – Minami Hiranuma / Japan

The motif of this work is my feelings when I picked up my grandmother’s bones.

Shining Despair – Sunyoung Cheong / USA

As an immigrant mother and artist from South Korea, my work reflects the dualities of migration …

Shining Despair – Spam Glam / UK

Extreme changes in my life have caused me so much anguish …

Shining Despair – Susan Buchanan / Australia

The Earth flexes its muscle, the applied concrete ‘urban skin’ breaks open and a microcosm of life is created in the cracks in the pavement.

Shining Despair – Selma Leal / Spain

« The desperation of corals shines before our eyes through their bleaching, »

Shining Despair – Aya Iwata / Japan

The theme « Shining Despair » merges two opposing concepts: brilliance and despair.

Shining Despair – Eiko Nakahara / Japan

In the current state of the world, people hate each other and there are countries full of hatred.

Shining Despair – Sébastien Carré / France

In these complicated times we are living through I feel quite angered …