vānĭtās

Tomorrow‘s hand-me-downs | (Future) body adornment and social context Understanding jewelry not only in relationship with itself but in a wider context by writing, philosophizing and making. The aim of this work was to get an insight in the way jewelry and accessories are being worn and how as a designer you can play a distinctive role in creating a new or stronger context for (future) body adornments. We questioned their ability to carry meaning and symbolism as well as their link to adjacent disciplines. The value of material as well as social and cultural context and heritage got deeper examined during this project. vānĭtās is an approach to manifest the sentimental emotions connected to a loved one or ancestor by capturing the individual skin texture and casting them into silver. These unique jewelry pieces (forget-me-nots) are made to be passed-on to relatives, friends or partners. The name has a slightly ironic twist since the old Latin word “vanitas“ means “emptiness“ or “worthlessness“; Just like the old Dutch paintings from the 16th/17th century tell us that earthly goods and pursuits are worthless, the jewelry should remind us of decay and evanescence.