Material Stories: Epilogue. Non-Humans x Humans

Jewellery expert Marjan Unger, in her dissertation, sketched an ‘underworld’ providing the materials necessary for jewellery, such as stones and pearls. They serve to express ideas embedded in the "upper world". (1) To my ears, Unger's words resound with an opposition, probably unintentional, between nature (material) and humans (idea, technique, and form).


This is the sixth and last article to conclude the series Material Stories. Previously, the author listened to jewellery makers working with gold, gemstones, pearls, and artificial materials. This epilogue suggests that it is worth listening to the materials themselves too.