Potato at Inhorgenta 2024

Artist list

Bill Abu-Sakyi, Julija Dobrojezzeva, Erik Lijzenga, Helena Renner, Miriam Strake, Ye Wang

In the unassuming nature of a potato lies a quiet elegance, and similarly, our group aims to reveal the unexpected allure in our projects. Much like the potato, which is an important staple food worldwide, used in dishes of many cultures, we also come from different cultural backgrounds. The potato, which is constantly transformed in various preparation methods and ingredients, represents our understanding of the concept of jewellery. Just as the potato passes through many hands on its way from sowing to harvest, from the field to the plate, the minds in our collective work on the rich questions and themes that we have combined to create an assorted jewellery menu. Like playing with contrasting flavors, we explore delicate opposites - time and space, body and mind, light and shadow, nature and imitation. Our members bring their personal passions and craftsmanship to a rich fusion cuisine of international perspectives. Potato sparks curiosity and prompts questions. It serves as a conversation starter about the multifaceted nature of our projects.

Join us as we discover exciting new flavors and explore the fascinating dimensions of our work!

We are POTATO!


Artists Statements: 

Bill Abu-Sakyi (MFA, Ghana)
I am a 31-year-old artist from Africa (Ghana) who believes that hard truths, unlikely conversations and emotions can be communicated through jewelry and design. My choice of material springs up from my belief that inanimate objects eventually outlive the existence of humans, making them the best materials to communicate your ideas through.
My work process mostly starts with making unrelated lines and shapes on pieces of paper, I then let my imagination run wild until I have a fundamental concept to build on. Most of these concepts are fueled by my cultural background and the middle ground I am trying to find in the western jewelry culture. My audience is everybody who can relate with the forms and shapes I come out with. And mostly, people end up finding a part of my piece to relate to. This is because most of my pieces end up with meaning around every corner. Ranging from the technique involved in executing it, to the type of material or color introduced to it.

Helena Renner (BFA, Germany)
My artistic work focuses on the examination of the ideal of beauty in Western society and the resulting effects on its members. The external view of the appearance of the body is received and directed inwards, evoking a processual examination of the ideal physical image in the context of the tension between real physical appearance, individual desires, supposed social standards and social recognition.
The works I create function as manifestations of these ongoing processes and their final results. Analogous to the individual's call for self-optimization of the body, I focus on the manual processing of ready-mades, such as shapewear and underwear, as well as other textiles. By deforming and adding specific details, I give these artifacts a new, deeper meaning.

Erik Lijzenga (MFA, Netherlands)
Through my large collection of found objects I have come to understand that an object carries many stories within itself, stories of inception, production and distribution, stories of ownership, use and being discarded. My collection ranges from found lighters to broken teacups, shards of plastic of any color and many, many other things, but all with the traces of their past life visible on their surface.
By working with these objects I want to explore their stories and show the beauty in their brokenness. By spending time and energy on recreating these objects, flaw and all, in stone and wood I am putting these objects on a pedestal, analyzing their form, copying details, following traces, it makes me see the objects that much more clearly.  These objects might be far removed from their intended context, but they have gained a new life, a new role, a new chapter to their story, as ambassadors for the lost and found.

Julija Dobrojezzeva (MFA, Ireland)
I am an artist who is driven by the profound interplay of identity and the tangible. My jewellery journey thrives from a deep exploration of the intricate ways we connect with the world. The inspiration is found between personal identity and the surrounding world. My work, expressed through jewellery, explores the fluidity of societal interactions and the spontaneity of individuality.
My art invites engagement, encouraging viewers to touch, feel, and interact with the pieces. By connecting with the tactile nature of silicone and the metallic allure of aluminium, the audience becomes an active participant in unravelling the layers of meaning within each creation.

Miriam Strake (BFA, Austria)
Through my work I am exploring pure, simple, geometrical, and architectural forms to create shades in and around the material—a dynamic interplay of light and shadow. The focus is on infusing depth and dimension into surfaces, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary through the illusion of layers, subtle shading of colors, and intentional incisions into materials.
Experimenting with unconventional substances and blending them with traditional elements commonly found in the jewelry industry not only lightens the overall aesthetic but also infuses a sense of joy and buoyancy into the pieces.​

Ye Wang (MFA, China)
The years of graduate studies have been a time filled with dramatic changes for me: a global pandemic, lockdowns, deteriorating international relations, a school fire, and the loss of a very dear person. I completed my graduate studies amidst the tension of uncertainty and constant dilemmas. In the midst of this unease, amid ever-dramatic shifts, I also completed the series of pieces – "Fortune-Telling."
We often seek answers to the world's perplexities, but perhaps the ultimate validation lies within ourselves, shrouded in the mist of uncertainty.
Fortune-Telling is a connection between the past, present and future, a retrieval of one's true self in the midst of the inexplicable chaos and ambiguity. It doesn't wholly belong to life nor exist entirely outside of it. Jewelry is a mysterious key leading to the stage and a sense of ritual.
When wearers put it on, they are not only the wearers but also the audience watching themselves from below the stage. They‘re constantly evolving through interactions with people, and each randomly presented state is a convergence of various inevitabilities, pointing from the present towards the future.


Next Shows:
IHM: 28. February – 3. March 2024
Intergem: 27. – 29. September 2024
Sieraad: 24. – 26. May 2024