Shining DESPAIR
Holland Houdek
USA

Neckpiece « Hysteroscopy », 2023
Copper, crystals, patina, 406x89x6.35mm
Hand-fabrication, stone setting
Photo : Grant Taylor

Neckpiece « Oophorectomy », 2023
Copper, crystals, patina, 390x110x10mm
Hand fabrication, stone setting
Photo : Grant Taylor

Words fail in the face of miscarriage. Our thoughts, like our bodies, betray us. Grief, isolation, shame, blame, and other unnamable feelings cloud one’s ability to articulate the pain of this harrowing yet all-to-common natural event. Against the inadequacy of language and the silences that surround this taboo subject, I turned to the process of making to confront this unnamable loss and to help shift my and other people’s perceptions of miscarriage and pregnancy loss. The pieces in this series helped me to un-make and re-make that deep and embodied pain into something transformative. They call attention to the need to find personal ways to cope, persevere, and make sense of life in the face of loss, while reminding women and people with uteruses who have had similar experiences that they are not alone.

More « Shining DESPAIR »

Shining Despair – Lily Pree / Greece

Despair is the lack of little breathless reflections.

Shining Despair – Deimezi Xenia / Greece

Behind and in front of what is visible.

Shining Despair – Elvira Cibotti / Argentina

I don’t always find the energy to overcome sadness or worry.

Shining Despair – Marilyn Koch / USA

We Are A Colony is an uncanny …

Shining Despair – Eunhee Cho / South Korea

I have experienced two trials in my life.

Shining Despair – Sanna Svedestedt / Sweden

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

Shining Despair – Iris Merkle / Germany

Vital functions are usually listened to with a stethoscope …

Shining Despair – Denis Music / Ukraine

The idea of the « Attention » brooch emerged during the challenging days of 2023.

Shining Despair – Juan Harnie / Belgium

As a child, I would watch my mother patch up worn garments …

Shining Despair – Jeanine van der Linde / Netherlands

In today’s world, where we face significant challenges …