Nexit. PXL-MAD School of Arts. BA Degree Show 2024

Artist list

 Sverre Bosmans,  Zoë Eysermans,  Amber Kerpetzidis, Sarah Nicolaï, Dilara Schirinzi,  Zoé Snoekx, ​Helia Talebi Atouei, Maryam Zabihi

During the second semester of the 2023-2024 academic year, the students from the Jewellery Design, Gold- and Silversmithing department at PXL-MAD School of Arts Hasselt dedicated their efforts to developing unique projects.

Dilara Schirinzi crafted fashion items from pig and cow bones. Sarah Nicolaï transformed negative tension, like stress, into bearable/wearable pieces using balloons. Zoë Eysermans created a jewellery collection by drawing inspiration from the ubiquitous ‘monobloc’ chair. Sverre Bosmans designed knives with a focus on their handles rather than their blades. Maryam Zabihi developed kinetic jewellery that responds to facial expressions associated with lying. Helia Talebi Atouei created a contemporary chatelaine inspired by Persian culture. Amber Kerpetzidis, being a fan of Disneyland, designed jewellery for the Queen of Hearts. Zoé Snoekx, writing short stories by observing other train passengers, created a series of jewellery exploring the subject of identity.

Guiding teachers:
Frederik Aerts, Nedda El-Asmar, David Huycke, Ann Jonckers, Maria Konschake, Lore Langendries, Erik Nuyts, Audi Pauwels, Anneleen Swillen, Kitty Spaenjers, Johanna van Hage, Charlotte Vanhoubroeck, Katleen Verjans, Ellen Vrijsen, Karen Wuytens



Amber Kerpetzidis - The Queen’s Greatness
A ring made for the Queen of Hearts herself. It represents her power, her greatness and the grip she has on Wonderland. The setting functions as a crown for the stone and shows the vigour she has. The red stone is a symbol of her greatness and passion for being a ruler of Wonderland. A rich and royal pattern on the ring stands for self-development, a reference to the flower in her hand on a deck of cards.

Sarah Nicolaï - Wearable tension
Tension can take different forms. In this project, the focus is on negative tension, such as stress. Throughout my artistic process, while – quite literally – dealing with tension, I learned to appreciate its beauty and benefits, such as how it can motivate me to get the best results. By working with balloons as a metaphorical material, I aim to cast what is often considered negative in a positive light. With these brooches, I want to make this negative tension bearable/wearable. How much tension can you handle?

Zoé Snoekx - Diary Jewelry 
Curiosity is a significant part of my personality. Especially on the train, I am eager to know what other passengers are doing and where they are travelling. Observing train passengers and imagining their lives, became the starting point of this project. Drawing inspiration from their expressions and actions, I wrote 12 short stories in which my imagination plays a key role. These stories, then, provided a key point to create jewelry pieces in which the train passengers are the focal point.
What does each story tell you? What jewelry piece would you match with which story? 

Zoe Eysermans- Mono Blanco 
No matter where in the world you are, you’ve likely sat on this chair before—the Monobloc. This chair has been the subject of numerous exhibitions and documentaries and has even been banned from public spaces in Sweden.
The collection Mono Blanco consists of jewelry recycled from the plastic of the white Monobloc chair. The jewelry’s designs are based on specific characteristics of the monobloc: leaving imprints on the body, fabric impressions, various backrest designs, rhythm through stacking, a fast production process, and being made from a single piece. 
With this project, I aim to evoke memories and a sense of recognition.

Helia Talebi - Persian Chatelaine
As a jewelry designer, I wanted to blend the rich art and culture of Iran with the concept of the chatelaine. Through my research and artistic process, I designed a contemporary chatelaine that reflects Persian aesthetics while staying true to the practical purpose of their Western counterparts. All the objects chosen are some of the most useful necessities in a modern woman's bag. I drew inspiration from the motifs found in Persian paintings, carpets, and architecture. This project aims to add a new element to modern Iranian jewelry design by bridging Eastern and Western traditions. Through this design, I aim to add a missing piece to the jewelry puzzle of my country by introducing this new facet of heritage.

Dilara Maria Schirinzi - A PIG, (A COW) AND HIS BONES
Inspired by my Italian heritage, in which pig farming plays a prominent role and every part of a pig is used except the bones, I created contemporary jewelry from pig bones. Through experimentation, and by drawing inspiration from fields such as fashion as well as catholic religion, I aimed to discover the aesthetic potential of bone as a material. This project is a family endeavor, highlighting sustainability and completing the circle of family traditions. It shows the beauty in what often goes unnoticed and discarded. 

Maryam Zabihi - Lie to me!
Lie to Me! is a jewelry project inspired by the intriguing research of Dr. Paul Ekman on micro-expressions. These subconscious facial movements, like changes in forehead lines, pulling lips, and eye twitches, reveal the hidden truth behind our lies. Each of the three facial-profile rings in this collection features kinetic parts, aimed at representing the unconscious changes our faces undergo when we lie, reminding us that while lying is a universal human trait, the truth is always written on our faces if we look close enough.
These rings invite wearers to embrace the joy and complexity of human emotions, transforming the simple act of wearing jewelry into a deeper exploration of honesty, deception, and self-awareness. "Lie to Me!" encourages us to see beyond the surface and recognize the fascination between truth and deception in our daily interactions.

Sverre Bosmans - My knives 
In my approach to designing folding knives, the handle is central. This is an atypical design choice, given that most knife makers focus on the blade's functionality. I emphasize the handle not only because it is an often-overlooked part of a knife, but also because of its direct contact with the human body.
In my work, I am guided by intuition and embrace chance. The making process, from a first sketch to the final detail, is essential, with each step contributing to a knife’s unique character.
Each knife in this collection of work seems to pose questions regarding the meaning of its shape, how it should be held, and, overall, the essence of a knife.  
While I focus on developing a unique form language for folding knives, I intentionally leave these questions, as well as the knife's functionality, to the user to discover and interpret.