Shining DESPAIR
Katherine Hubble
Australia
Necklace “Luminousity”, 2024
Polypropylene, vinyl, 3D printed resin, gold, elastic, plastic push toggle, 360x230x35mm
Vacuum forming, 3D printing, rivets
Photo : Fred Kroh
Cultured pearls are created by implanting an irritant into an oyster. The oyster produces and secretes nacre to encase this irritant building up layers and layers, coating the foreign body in a smooth lustrous surface. The nacre covered nucleus is then surgically removed by pearl technicians. This is the raw production of a cultured pearl; from the oyster’s discomfort and pain it transforms discomfort to an object of beauty.
The Pinctada maxima is the largest species of pearl producing oyster in the world. Its organic, rough highly textured exterior is just as beautiful to me as its lustrous, rainbow iridescence as its interior.
This work was made with intense respect and admiration to the pearl oyster and its resilience and inherent nature to protect itself from despair. While also recreating its luminous material qualities within contemporary materials.