Elise Hoebeke Belgium
Human Nature bracelet
Piece created for Challenge 2021 Jewelry and Nature
Materials brick, carnauba leaf wax
Size approx 72x72x1mm
When Elise thinks of nature in her living environment, she notices how Belgium is filled with buildings. Moreover, construction waste is a huge ecological problem. The familiar orange bricks have round cutouts inside of them, inviting to be enlarged into bracelets. The human scale dimensions of the stone allow Elise to file out a bangle that fits her personally. As a jewelry maker, she approaches the worthless clunky brick as a gemstone, which she crafts entirely by hand to connect with the material. The bracelets are similar to leaves: repeated but unique. They will eventually break while wearing, just as leaves decay.
(The bracelet is not made for daily use - it is also an object to cherish. The material is fragile.)
