Box Up! is Co-Adorn's sixth annual juried exhibition of Canadian art jewellery. The work in this exhibition relates to jewellery's special relationship to the box, Jewellery is gifted in a box, stored in a box, even shipped in a box. Jewellery is also displayed in a box and mounted to the walls of a gallery, often referred to as a “white box”. The work in this exhibition explore ideas including confines, rules, gifts, surprises, blank slate, memories, secrets, security, and relocation.
Box Up! was juried by: Deborah Carver, Studio 21 Fine Art, Halifax, NS; Toni Losey, ceramic artist, Halifax, NS; Emily Lewis, Galerie Lewis & Jewellery Artist, Quebec, QC
Box Up! was juried by: Deborah Carver, Studio 21 Fine Art, Halifax, NS; Toni Losey, ceramic artist, Halifax, NS; Emily Lewis, Galerie Lewis & Jewellery Artist, Quebec, QC
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Laura SassevillePeau (brooch)Tits up! (brooch)The theme "Box Up!" prompted me to delve into dysmorphophobia, which gives rise to both physical and psychological challenges. Fixating excessively on a specific body part can drive a strong desire to conform to a distorted perception of reality. This compels individuals to undergo detrimental and harmful methods in pursuit of an unrealistic standard. It's an attempt to mold oneself into a body that appears rough, distorted, and, above all, undesirable. Whether standing in front of a mirror, whether clothed or naked, the gaze captivates the mind, which strives to control it through any means possible.
Materials: Polymer clay, steel and sterling silver
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Cheryl KrismerBonk! (necklace)Breaking out of confinement comes from the desire to push boundaries. It is a solitary pursuit that, sometimes, your partner does not want to participate in. It may also happen by accident and was never intended. Or it may happen because your partner pushed you to do it. However this occurs, it is a life well lived. Risk, support, encouragement, help, even unintentionally, we cannot do it alone. We find growth in play, in creativity and in community.
Materials: Sterling Silver, aquamarine, moonstone
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Karen TurgeonEmpreinte - 1 (brooch)Empreinte - 3 (brooch)Objects serve as the remnants of the relationships that have touched our lives. What typically endures from these connections includes gifts, significant possessions, or inheritances. Among all objects, jewelry holds a particularly profound symbolism. In this light, my brooches are crafted from fragments of jewelry discovered in thrift stores. These reclaimed gems have journeyed through the lives of strangers and carry with them a narrative, much like every relationship that intersects with our own. They leave an impression and serve as a testament to the presence of these individuals.
Materials: Bronze, unknown metals
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Vivi LamarreContained Possibilities (necklace)The jewelry I created for this exhibition builds upon a previous series called Winding Ways that delves into the theme of sinuous paths and atypical journeys. Inspired by the theme of the box, I created three compositions that deal with the idea of barriers, the ones that we face or the ones self-imposed. These pieces explore the concept of constraints and how we can adapt and evolve within the confines of a given framework. Through this exploration I shifted my own perspective in order to find playful and inspiring ways to navigate the challenging grounds.
Materials: Maple wood, Italian leather cord, sterling silver
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Sofi par Sophie BélangerTous Les Regards Sont Portés Vers Toi (brooch)Enclosed within its container, the eye watches and judges you. When you permit yourself to be vulnerable and open up, you provide it with the chance to appreciate your true self. All eyes are now focused on you, giving you the platform to reveal your identity. Your life story sets you apart and entitles you to every bit of attention you receive. So, go ahead, reveal your true self.
Materials: Merino wool, sterling silver, nylon, cotton, glass beads
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Vanessa NeilyStamp EarringsI interpreted “box up” in relation to preparing a parcel for mail. Aware that the piece(s) would have the opportunity to be shown at several galleries, my focus turned to shipping and postage stamps. Postage stamps represent the geography, history, culture and art of their origins, and as such, I designed these earrings as stamps of my artistic voice, sharing my signature style, skill and motifs that aid in representing what I make and how I make. Individual in their pairing, I designed them as variations of one another with the romanticized notion that they could be collected, displayed and kept as keepsakes, like stamp collectors do.
Materials: Copper, Vitreous enamel, Brass, Sterling silver, Wool, Leather
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Éliane-Catrie Blouin Achim
I merge the past and present to craft a personal and intimate experience that links individuals with their own history. My creations serve as timeless artifacts, bearing witness to our ongoing journey through time.
Materials (1): Brass, copper, bronze, silver, string, garnet, steel.
Materials (2): Brass, copper, bronze, silver, plastic toy, topaz, steel.
Materials (3): Brass, copper, bronze, silver, vesuvianite, shell, tooth, wire, lichen, steel.
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Michèle AudetSpy Gadget (pendant)Societal expectations compel us to project an image of flawlessness, leading us to conceal what we perceive as imperfections. We often view our distinctiveness as conflicting with these standards and thus hide it, despite the fact that it is our true asset and beauty. In a similar vein, our perceptions of others are often influenced by our preconceived expectations, and our biases distort the way we see them, obstructing a genuine understanding of the individual. "Spy Gadget" sees us as the observers in this context.
Acrylic (plexi), stainless steel, sterling silver, nylon
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Jamie KroegerThe Suspense (nesting brooches)Obsessed with the suspense element of gifting and the surprise component of jewellery, I created an interactive brooch that conveys that overwhelming feeling of needing to know what lays within, but almost not wanting to, as that would end the excitement. The brooch is presented in a concealed condition that allows the participant to either expose the inner components, or prolong the wonderful suspense, and rely only on imagination to conjure up the contents.
Materials: Steel, copper, ash wood, sterling silver, acrylic paint, enamel, leather, cotton, glass beads, acrylic felt, found object
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Karine GosselinCell (brooch)All my life, I've been struggling with severe weight issues, facing sudden and violent variations related to a lot of health problems, losing control of my body and trying to get it back, sometimes over drastic methods. I carry a heavy genetics as I carry a heavy prisoner ball that causes me pain, shame, mental distress, and physical limitations. Sometimes I get to love myself and feel free for a while, but most of the time I feel jailed in my own body. That fat cell I have made also evokes MY own prison cell.
Materials: Copper, silver, powdercoating, glass, epoxy resin and pigments, red waxed thread
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Saydee ChandlerEcho (pair of objects)My pieces symbolize notions of the unseen: the concealed, the hidden, and the protected. In this work, I have inverted negative spaces of the body and carved them into solid, positive forms, originating from a raw slab of white marble. These objects (almost embryonic in form) suggest the need for great care and delicacy when handling, despite the forms being contained within their own shell-like barriers. The forms themselves – without the heavy hand of artistic influence – naturally resemble notions of fragility, by highlighting this private and personal cavern of the human body.
Materials: white marble
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Meris Mosher1989 A (pendant/brooch)Celebrating the tradition of decoration and ornament for holiday paralleled with jewellery adornment for special occasions. These unique items are stored carefully in a box, only to be seen at their peak moments in time: decorating the walls of galleries, adorning the boughs of pine trees, or elevating that 'perfect' outfit. Highlighting elements like tinsel, glass balls and the flicker of colour shifting lights this brooch merges the sparkle of the holidays with the preciousness of jewellery.
Materials: Copper, Silver, Moissanite (lab created), Rainbow Quartz, Paint, Glitter, Pigment, Resin, Cord and Steel
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Eunhui [Stella] LeeCalla (brooch)I aim to transform the flower shape itself into a functional vase.
Materials: silver
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Chantel GushueIsaac Newton (brooch)Crusader (brooch)Starfish (brooch)The Flatpack Gemstone collection offers a unique perspective on the relationship between jewelry and boxes. While jewelry is traditionally packaged, stored, and displayed in boxes, these paper gemstones challenge that convention. Through folding techniques, they transform the paper into intricate three-dimensional objects. By reimagining the concept of a box, the collection blurs the boundaries between flatness and dimensionality. It invites viewers to question the traditional role of boxes in defining and containing jewelry, sparking a dialogue about the essence of value, presentation, and the transformative potential of materials.
Materials: Paper, coloured pencil
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Lindsay MacDonaldOptics 1 (earrings)Looking back from our contemporary lens, plastic has been brilliant, beautiful and very insidious. I strive to package this duality, to find a balance, and to let the wearer decide the context.
Materials: Mother of pearl, cutlery handles, tail lights, silver, steel
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Justine BonninBoxes for Intangible 1 (brooch)Boxes for Intangible 3 (brooch)These portable boxes are born from contemplation of the notion of a "box" and the close connection it shares with our inner world. They aim to bridge the material surroundings that envelop us with the intangible, internal aspects that define us.
The box's purpose accentuates the choices we make about its contents. What does the box's content reveal about both others and ourselves? Why opt to wear it as a piece of wearable jewelry? Fashioned from repurposed objects, these adornment boxes, at times transparent, discreet, enigmatic, or suggestive, each offer unique ways of addressing these questions. Materials: Brass, Glass, Stainless Steel
Materials: Deer Hoof, Sterling Silver, Stainless Steel, Resin
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Carolyn YoungWood & Light (pendant)This pendant is a lidless box that holds both wood and light. I play with the concept of inside and outside and the idea of capturing and releasing. The wood is both an image of an outdoor woodland in distressed gold leaf on etched copper inside the circular box and the wood from which the box itself is constructed. The gold inside the box captures external light creating the appearance of light emanating from the container.
Materials: Birch plywood, maple veneer, 24K gold leaf, copper, linen thread, nylon cord
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Sze Yin [Cicy] ChingGames To Go | Freedom (pendant/rings)The box is the jewellery. It can be transformed from a hand piece to a neck piece. It also doubles as a portable game, all boxed up in a self-contained form that can become a self-standing jewellery piece when not worn.
Materials: sterling silver
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Claudine GevryCumulus Cloud (necklace)When I think about jewelry boxes I think about the white fluffy padding inside. Soft as a cloud, it protects delicate ornaments. Once the box is closed, everything becomes dark. This special environment sounds like the perfect home for my illuminated cloud jewelry piece.
We often imagine that we can touch clouds but they are insubstantial. Light is also ethereal. Neither of them can be captured in a box so this is my way of aiming for the impossible. Materials: Recycled PETG, Printed Circuit Board, LEDs
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Melissa MorrisonStick To Your Vision (brooch)Inspiration for the brooch was drawn from an eccentric and brief jewellery craze that took place in the late 18th century. Lover’s Eyes were small miniature portraits of eyes, commissioned for sentimental reasons and exchanged by lovers or family members. This piece relates to the theme through; secret & confined love, openly sharing knowledge and personal experiences but keeping your visual identity under wraps, and this brooch was created with the intent of giving my community a gift.
Materials: sterling silver, resin, 34pcs of approx 2.8mm blue mussel pearls, totalling 5cts
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Porsha TroostKeys Please (earrings)My pieces explore the beauty and vitality of seed pods, which in essence are the boxes in which plants enclose precious genetic material. It is a gift that is freely given and oftentimes the further dispersed, the better. While we might not take notice of all the seed pods that surround us, the continuation of their biodiversity is important not only to them, but also for us. Nature exists not solely as a natural resource to be diminished, but also as a balm for the soul.
Materials: Sterling Silver, Nano Ceramic Coating, Nylon, Titanium
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OuelletteCollier 1 (necklace)In the field of ceramics, porcelain adorned with floral patterns is typically linked with affluence and elegance. Tableware sets featuring such designs were reserved exclusively for special, celebratory events. This subtle nod further underscores the notion of a somewhat grandiose and formal spectacle that particularly complements extroverted settings.
Materials: Coloured porcelain, sterling silver
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Sonia BeauchesneThe Pearls in the Box (necklace)Florescence (pendant + ring)I am interested in human transition and in shells as a defense mechanism.
The Pearls in the Box reveals a boxlike shell that breaks down into a floral pattern and reveals a pearl necklace: the true self of a human being. Fluorescence is about someone that is blooming. Florescence has two pieces and comes flat in the box. The centerpiece can be folded with instructions and converted into a ring. The negative space become a pendant. Materials: Stainless steel, cotton braided string and secondhand pearl necklace
Materials: Stainless steel, spray paint, cotton braided string
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