Freedom as Luxury series

(Text by Ilaria Ruggiero) Freedom as Luxury Eva van Kempen finds inspiration in medical achievements especially related to the procreation process and analyses the impact of the human intervention on the specie’s control and regulation. She uses expired medication as materials to create elegant yet thought provoking jewels, while honouring medical achievements and life itself. In particular, a specific topic of interest for Eva is the regulation of abortion laws, which, both individually and collectively, represents one of the key elements for determining the thermometer of a democracy and respect for human rights, as affirmed by Amnesty International: ‘Denying pregnant people access to abortion violates their reproductive autonomy, as well as the full range of human rights.’ In fact, safeguarding women's reproductive rights is one of the most important factors in stabilizing global population growth in order to curb climate change, claims former US vice-president and environmental activist Al Gore. As activist artist - she defines herself as an artivist - Eva gives life to a personal and effective, unique artistic practice. The use of packs of expired pills like contraceptive pills, morning after pills and abortion pills, to create jewellery, creates a semantic short circuit the outcome of which is as effective as it is ingenious. At first glance it is difficult to focus on the material, as it is used wisely and with great aesthetic acumen. The colours and the harmonic composition of the elements, always silvery and metallic, give the pieces a strong decorative impact, which deflects and deviates from the content. Her work aims to celebrate the value of life in the full mastery of her body by the woman, and therefore the possibility of wishing free and easy access to medicines, which must not be the privilege of a few, but the right of everyone.