Human hair, eggshells and members of the crustacean family may not be common materials in a collection of jewellery, but Stephanie Simek is no common jeweller.
The 26 yearr old artist, photographer and all around creative wunderkind combines precious and experimental materials to makes surreal pieces of wearable art.
Take her latest piece, for example. The adorably named sea cookie pin combines the empty shell of a crustacean with the modern technology of LED lights. The lights, set behind the shell, illuminate the natural patterns and intricacies of the shell’s surface. Another piece features a quail egg lined with 23k gold leaf, and hung on a 14k gold chain.
The union of natural materials with precious metals is typical of Simek’s style. “I like the unexpectedness that comes with reworking objects in an unfamiliar way,” she says, citing the excitement of rediscovering a familiar material in a new context as a driving force.
This playful appropriation of objects means that her jewellery gets a lot of mixed reactions. “I like to work with aren't things people are necessarily used to wearing in this context. So I think there is a tiny bit of surprise or shock there.”
It's hard to choose a favourite, but mine would have to be the delicate powder necklace. The piece is made of a pearly Turbo Cinereus seashell filled with sparkling, silver coloured powder, which filters through the holes, leaving a touch of shimmer on the wearer’s décolletage. Sparkly.