I love exploring and creating jewelry and objects inspired by nature. Nature offers a diverse range of feelings, emotions, and thoughts. In early 2019, the Victorian bushfires caused devastating losses. Many people lost their houses, and many animals died in that tragedy. In response to this, I created and presented my pieces, Metamorphosis in the Fireline and Ashes to Renewal, to bring back a little memory of this transformation.
Using enamel and mild steel, I experimented with a technique I had never used before: plique a jour. In Metamorphosis in the Fireline, I wanted to give a sense that there is still hope after the tragedy through the light from the wings in that technique, with the burnt mild steel giving a sense of something burning.
In ‘Ashes to Renewal’, the series of rings explores the cycle of destruction and renewal that follows a bushfire. Each piece carries marks of disruption and fragility, echoing the charred fragments left in the wake of fire, also giving a sense of renewal. The organic forms and uneven textures express the delicate balance between loss and recovery. Wires and casting pieces trace the scars of fire while also suggesting the first signs of regrowth. Together, they form a quiet dialogue between memory, transformation, and renewal. When worn on the body, these rings become vessels of resilience, objects that hold personal and collective stories of endurance. Like the landscape that slowly heals and flourishes again, the works embody the hope that emerges from ruin.
Through their tactile presence, they remind us that from ashes comes renewal, and within every trace of damage lies the enduring promise of life restored.
https://www.instagram.com/___vrel/
viorel.hs@gmail.com
