To Mend My Broken Heart by Liana Pattihis

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Liana Pattihis

The latest series with the same title as the title of the exhibition, to mend my broken heart, arise from a loved but dropped Japanese Kutani bowl, shattered into many pieces. The bowl was given to Liana Pattihis as a wedding gift and when it was damaged, she was heartbroken.
I really loved that bowl, so I painstakingly sat and glued each piece together. Though the initial form was there it was now scarred forever. With many tiny pieces missing, it was kept in a cupboard over the years, until one day I had the idea to use chain to mend it. The inspiration came from Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery. 
/ Liana Pattihis

Chains and enamel are materials that are recognized in Liana Pattihis's Jewelry and she has developed her own unique method of sifting and fusing it on a movable base. The versatility of the materials is what attracts her the most as it gives an organic feel to the work.

My response to the way in which the materials fuse together is intuitive and impromptu. With each layer, the enamel adds form, structure and substance to the piece. The natural fragility of the material exudes a new-found strength, richness in texture and an acquired preciousness at the same time as the silver or gold chain is slowly buried into obscurity. The inquisitive attention, tactile approach and numerous juxtapositions, provoke a sense of preciousness in my jewellery that is understated and enigmatic. 
/ Liana Pattihis