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 – Katherine Hubble / Australia

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

Shining Despair – Willy vande Velde / Belgium

The ring is part of the communication series.

Shining Despair – Clara del Papa / Italy-Venezuela

My work explores the delicate balance between darkness and light.

Shining Despair – Jeanine van der Linde / Netherlands

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

Shining Despair – Anna Talbot / Norway

The series ‘Pressed Flowers’ is inspired by my memories of my grandfather’s garden from my childhood.

Shining Despair – Kamile Staneliene / Lithuania

The brooch “Shining Despair” reflects the contrast between life’s darkness and the light that endures within it.

Shining Despair – Maria Konschake / Belgium

« Prägung » is part of the series « About Space and Identity » …

Shining Despair – Youjin Um / South Korea

My No. 1 treasure is my happy childhood memory.

Shining Despair – Anna Timar / Hungary

These necklaces represent the duality of emotions within us.

Shining Despair – Spam Glam / UK

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