IED Istituto Europeo di Design. Degree Show 2023

Phtongos is the word used by Omero to describe the mermaids’ voice.
The project represents a 21st-century mermaid inspired by the two sisters rocks legend about a woman half fish.
This project raised various questions like: How could be a Mermaid today? In which way is she dangerous? Where does she live? How can she hurt the people who are getting in contact with her? What kind of Hybrid being is? Is it a hybrid between humans and what kind of animal? What is attractive to me? Which kind of jewelry is attractive?
The mermaid is an aquatic mythological creature which has undergone several metamorphoses through the ages; I represent her nowadays.

My collection is attractive and dangerous thanks to the shiny but sharp stones. When the viewer comes in touch with the wearer, attracted by the jewelry, can hurt himself as the mermaid does with the enchanted man. When the jewelry is worn, the body mutates, it becomes half animal and half human. The design is inspired by Ernest Haeckel’s illustrations to simulate the microorganisms with which my hybrid being is constantly covered, almost encrusted, under the water.
I used the 3D printer, a symbol of today’s technology. The project is made using plastic and resin that were subsequently lacquered and decorated with Cubic Zirconia.

The wind comes and goes without a trace, but it leaves some marks, indicating that it has been here, just like the brilliance of history. Although it will never return, its existence has shaped who we are today.

Each jewelry piece embraces the concept of wearable ‘’sculptures’’. They perfectly blend into the artistic manifestation like the table-based sculptures when laid still but transform into wearable jewelry once one engages the jewelry onto the body. The inspiration developed from the enchanting caves of Italy in Marche, Frasassi Caves; the pieces progressed from the mesmerising formations and dynamic forms and shapes shaped by the wind over centuries. The designer’s cultural heritage resembles the Dunhuang caves and the Buddhist temple on the Silk Road with a sophisticated mural found.

The designer infuses the unperceivable movement of the wind into each jewelry piece; the invisible flow of wind is shown on them once the jewelry is worn. As the wind freely shapes the Italian caves, the idea of the wind takes center stage in this collection, breathing life into each creation. The forms and movements of each piece interplay within themselves.

The sculptural elements, once placed on the body, the jewelry will be brought to life by one's gestures and identity. Importantly, it resonates with the spirit of the wind that echoes around the Dunhuang cave, depicting the flow of the wind that dances around the body through each piece of jewelry.

The collection proves the fusion of artistic inspiration, cultural heritage, and the unbounded possibilities of contemporary jewelry design. It invites wearers to embrace the fluidity of their journeys, connecting with their nature (wind), culture and history. As the jewelry is worn, one is able to engage immensely with it.

There was a time of rebirth in the art of human history called the Renaissance. Amongst a lot of great re-discoveries, perspective was re-born. Raffaello Sanzio, a master of this technique, was born in Urbino, and his paintings still amaze those who see them up to this day. He managed to transform what was flat into three-dimensionality by painting the buildings he saw around him. 

Chasing and repousse, which is an older technique than perspective, is still similar to painting perspective. The maker starts by making a flat design on paper, which is then transferred to a plate of metal. The craftsman then hammers the design and brings the sheet of metal into three-dimensionality, which is parallel to the three-dimensional painting on a flat canvas.

As Raffaello painted the buildings around him through his mediums, which were flat canvases, brushes and paint, the silversmith is transferring the buildings he sees around him, but this time through a different medium on a smaller scale: jewellery. 

A close relation between the past and the present is brought together in this project where the ancient technique of painting perspective of drawing buildings of that time is now married to the ancient technique of chasing and repousse, while depicting Milan’s contemporary buildings in jewellery.

Benison was born from the serendipitous discovery of the hidden language of flowers and plants – their spiritual essence and sacred meanings.
These jewels will be worn for the first time on a bride’s wedding day. Each piece possesses a mysterious enchantment, a conduit between the earthly and the divine.
Within these intricately designed treasures, an ethereal alchemy unfurls. 

Benison jewellery pieces are not mere adornments but vessels of transformative energy.
As they gracefully embrace the bride, a profound interplay transpires, activating the celestial power of blessings encapsulated within these jewels.
In this sublime union of beauty and mysticism, every delicate jewel is an invitation to embark on an extraordinary journey where love, devotion, and spirituality intertwine.

The bouquet of meanings captured in this extraordinary collection celebrates the bride’s union with her beloved, bringing undying love, fertility, purity, fidelity, long-life harmony, sacred space and eternal passion, where each jewel becomes a talisman.