Hannah Jewett
Balancing on the fluid border between reality and virtual worlds Hannah Jewett’s jewelry reminds of the small miracle of lead casting, when liquid mass suddenly solidifies into indeterminate shapes that yet seem so full of meaning.
How did you come to jewelry design?
I experimented with sculpture and painting before jewelry was ever part of the picture. I don’t have any formal training in jewelry or metal arts, which is partially why there are a lot of unconventional shapes in my work. Part of the ethos of my design process is to leave an openness, or ambiguity of the object’s identity. I like the idea of my pieces being unrecognizable as jewelry if taken out of context.
The shapes of your jewelry resemble molten lava and dazzling slime, what inspires you in the design of shapes?
I grew up on 90’s TV, which definitely has an influence on the shapes I gravitate toward both in my jewelry and daily life. Amorphous energy is really necessary, it delivers a specific type of optimism that balances out the severity of the world.
You work with 3D modelling technology. Can you explain the process of bringing your vision to life?
The DNA of these designs is digital. Each piece is conceived in the 3D modeling software Rhino, then 3D-printed into plastic models and cast into silver samples. I work with a team of seasoned jewelry professionals who deserve much of the credit for finishing each piece and bringing it to life.
During the pandemic your jewelry was also worn virtually for your digital campaign with @carolthekitty or by CGI model Lil Miquela. How did corona change and influence your work?
The pandemic made me think differently about my work, especially in the beginning, when the Diamond District was shut down and I had figure out how to stay productive without my normal resources. I released the 3D campaign with Carol during that time, when it really felt like everyone was living digitally and remotely. Not being able to produce my collections shifted the focus to creating images and experimenting with new materials, which is how the candles were born.
Could you imagine that in the future there will be a market for high end consumers where only virtual fashion is sold?
Virtual fashion is fascinating and I think the popularity of AR and VR makeup, accessories or fashion has its own value, but it can’t be compared to holding or wearing a tangible object. Material things have more permanence, technology is constantly shifting and changing.
Lately you have started to design candles, are there more fields you want to shape with your forms ?
Branching outside of the jewelry world has generated a lot of new design concepts I want to put in motion soon. I’m excited at the idea of the same shape having different options for its life. It could be an earring, a candle, a doorknob, a chair, public sculpture. For now, I am still focused on jewelry and candles but the gates have been opened.
The proceeds from the sale of candles were donated entirely to charity. What role does activism play in your art and life as an artist?
Summer of 2020 had a major impact on everyone collectively - being in NY and seeing mutual aid operating on that level really sparked a call to action within many artists and designers. For me, redirecting at least part of my sales to charitable organizations is something that we’re permanently implementing as part of the business model. I think all designers with the same capacity should be using their business as a tool in their toolbox, not only to redistribute funds but to also just be a better citizen and human.
interview IMKE RABIEGA
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