Topic/Theme Explanation

Plastic Waster Jewellery

Figure 1 - Albrecht. M. 2019. Brooch. Polyethylene (plastic bags & packaging films), silver, dental steel

Figure 2 - Givenchy. J. 2019 Taffin's Earring. Ceramics, gold or silver, and diamonds 

 

My topic/theme will be focusing on plastic waste recycling, through the process of melting HDPE plastic (high-density polyethylene) into flat sheets or 3D moulds. I want to make contemporary jewellery pieces that relate to Albrecht and Givenchy (earring and ring made with ceramics as seen in figure 1, but not using ceramics to incorporate my work. I want my jewellery pieces to include 80% of non-precious materials, such as plastic waste like Mario Albrecht art-jewellery work in figure 2 and also use 20% of precious materials such as silver, copper, and brass.

Nice Jewel

The Bloomsdale Pattern /Bright Contrast Geometric Mosaic Style Repetitive Pattern by Teti Kartasheva
https://www.pinterest.at/pin/724516658789408820/

European Park of Volcanism. Auvergne, France
https://www.pinterest.at/pin/514325219917361823/

My "nice jewel" piece will be focusing on different contrast and repetition on plastic and metal. I am busy planning the jewellery piece at the moment. These are the inspirations as seen in the pictures, that I am planning on incorporating with my designs.

Precious Materials

Figure 1- Hanevold. I. 2009. Bracelet, Silver (oxidising, and scratching) 

 Precious materials are considered to be rare and natural like gold, silver, platinum and diamonds. These materials have played a bigger role in the jewellery industry as an investment status on expensive materials, that holds a high economic value in contemporary jewellery and art-jewellery.

The history of gold and silver has been co-existing for years in jewellery manufacturing through precious materials, we still find goldsmith like Ingjerd Hanevold, who creates jewellery that is made from silver, which was darkened through oxidising, scratching and heavily brushing the surface. Her work has inspired me to focus on how to construct a bent sheet of silver with invisible joins of pins and soldering. Her jewellery work has great elements on repetition as seen in figure 1,which is what I am looking forward to do on my research.

Signet Ring

Casting Process

Figure 1 - Mbeje A. 2020 Signet Ring. Blue Wax 

Figure 2 - Mbeje A. 2020 Signet Ring. Blue Wax (geometric shapes)

Figure 3 - Mbeje A. 2020 Signet Ring. Casted Ring Silver (geometric shapes)

 Figure 4 - Mbeje A. 2020 Signet Ring. Silver (Sandpaper Textured)

I am making a signet ring that is inspired by geometric shapes. I am still busy with the ring and I am planning on put resin as an alternative material in the project. The ring will be casted in silver. 

My research title topic

Plastic Waste Jewellery

Figure 1 - Mbeje .A. 2019. RING. Rendering - Silver (gold-plated), Resin and PET(Polyethene)

Figure 2 - Mbeje .A. 2019. NECKPIECE. Rendering - Silver (gold-plated), Resin and PET(Polyethene)

Recycling has always been my goal as a jewellery designer to reduce high rates of pollution while putting less pressure on virgin materials to produce brand new products. Recycling plays a bigger role in the process of recovering scrap or waste plastic and reprocessing the material into useful products. Plastic pollution is currently one of the biggest environmental concerns in the world. 

I have always wanted to do a jewellery collection that will bring awareness in the society by melting waste plastic into precious jewellery. My goal is to do a jewellery collection that has recycled plastic with resin and also uses precious metals as a support structure in the manufacturing process, which refers to rebuilding and assembling, I designed the above jewellery collection prototype in figures 1 and 2, while I was in Italy. I wanted to design a jewellery collection that involves geometric shapes and contrast elements of colour, such as light, dark; soft, hard; warm, and cool.

New changes at the workbench

My jewellery workbench

I have new development changes at my workbench after 3 weeks later, I have my inspiration mood-board at the wall. I am still planning on adding more post for my workbench.

Non-precious materials

Figure 1 - Murphy. K. 2001. Bangles. Resin (blue and green), Fabric and Foil

Non-precious materials can be chartered as cheap materials or non-precious, due to the long history of precious jewellery in the western world, traditional materials were combined with the perceived intrinsic value. The rise of art- jewellery with non-precious materials has changed the innovation of jewellery, as well as materials such as recycling materials, refractory metal and changes in education. These changes have adopted a new personal concept for art-jewellers, as they are able to express their own creativity in contemporary art-jewellery.

Non-precious materials have paved the way for Kathie Murphy, who is using plastic resin for her art-jewellery as a way of making art-jewellery cheaper, richer with colour and patterns as seen in figure 1. Kathie's art-jewellery has inspired me, to use her techniques on my art-jewellery work by applying a clear resin material to create decorative transparency on my jewellery pieces.

Social Market Pop Ups

Sibusiso Mlangeni, founder of Nutcase ACTS

Nutcase is a series of artwork, which is complemented by engineers, designers, and craftsmen. I met Sibusiso last weekend in Johannesburg at the neighborhood market in Braamfontein when I was invited to attend the market pop up show. Sibusiso art-jewellery focus on non-precious disposed materials, such as nuts, zipper-lock teeth and electronic component, which are recycled into contemporary jewellery.

neckpiece

bangle

crown

sunglass

necklace

Mixed Materials

Figure 1 - Beppe. 2009. slowly brooch. brass, lime wood, color, 8 x 6 x 4 cm / 30 g  

Mixed Materials are two or more forms of elements that are physically combined together to create or form a material that can be made as a precious or non-precious material.

The French were the leading makers of manipulating non-precious pearl imitation during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Many of the art-jewellery in Virtual Gallery of Contemporary Jewellery are using precious and non-precious materials to motivate the creation of contemporary jewellery to be more like traditional values of mixed materials as seen in Kesslers’ jewellery brooches in figure 1.

I want to present my art-jewellery like Kessler, she is using feelings and thoughts for expressing her life by combining old and new contemporary materials to describe her art-jewellery work. If I could use this method for my art-jewellery, which will have mix material jewellery that has 80% of plastic, it will help the society to understand my feelings and thoughts about recycling plastic materials as a way of creating awareness.

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