Retold objects of the past. The Artworks and practice of Helen Clara Hemsley

Many people would throw them in the bin, but for me, they are the cornerstones of so many stories.

Helen mostly uses found and kept objects/materials from her vast and now pretty old collection. Each item has been kept for a reason, whether she can remember why or not – perhaps for its aesthetic quality, its functionality, or because it was a gift, or a token of an important personal experience, achievement or period in her life. They can be leftovers from other projects, recycled clothes with added sentimental value or everyday objects that have outlived their traditional function, but now take on a new role in her jewellery. It is this web of possible meanings and value that interests Helen, and she almost feels like an ‘armchair archaeologist or historian’ when they are brought into the light again.
 
‘Looking back, to look forward 10, 1995-2022’ comprises fabric from the skirt that I almost wore the night I kissed the father of my children for the first time. I wore another skirt instead, a short, black floral one that was not nearly as graphic and notable as the original one. Was that a ‘sliding door moment’, would we even have kissed if I had worn the first skirt? I will never know, so instead I celebrate its near success. I have no idea what happened to the skirt I did wear, by the way.

Helen Clara Hemsley. Necklace: Looking back, to look forward 10, 1995-2022, 2022.
Fabric from an old skirt, copper-leaf bow, sequins, brass beads, wooden beads, metal chain. 55 x 16 x 0.2 cm
Photo by: James Bates Photography
From series: Looking back, to look forward


Fitting in
 
Her interest in the meaning of the objects Helen keeps and uses is grounded in the way they can be part of stories about ourselves both as individuals and as a community.
Things can - as souvenirs and heirlooms - carry our personal memories and define our identity. They can also bind us to other groups around us and their way of ascribing meaning to the world. Perhaps my focus on this also relates to my own identity as an immigrant? Could my interest in an object like an old passport mirror a fundamental longing to belong? An object that has both a practical and symbolic function that can only be maintained as long as everyone agrees on it.
 
The necklace ‘Away’ (2024), tangibly weaves individual identity together with the premises of community by combining a winged house made out of plastic beads with her (expired) South African passport.
Helen Clara Hemsley. Neckpiece: Away, 2024
South African passport, plastic beads, electro galvanised steel, brass bulldog clip, cotton cord. 42 x 14 x 0.8 cm
Photo by: James Bates


It’s not like I feel that I don’t belong; I really do, and there are beautiful parallels between my life in Denmark and the life I had in South Africa (and the places in between). There will always be a few little holes; they are more from trauma, loss and grief – holes that, quite frankly, cannot be filled by where you live. But holes that I work on every day, with the help of my children, my partner and my practice. And my sense of humour.
 
‘I don’t have a Danish tongue’ (2012) light-heartedly tells the tale of learning to speak Danish at the age of 29, and references a Royal Copenhagen classic and a popular saying used to ‘test’ if foreigners can speak Danish properly.


Fixing, understanding and sharing things

Another core element in her jewellery is that pretty much everything looks very handmade, sometimes in a matter-of-fact way, or planned and systemic as seen in her embroidered works.
I like to think that I somehow bring classic needlework and textile techniques into the now, allowing them to help us find a commonplace understanding of the world around us. I celebrate colour and texture and the way things sometimes come together in the most unexpected ways, no matter how much you plan otherwise.Helen Clara Hemsley. Brooch: Hectic, 2022
Silk and cotton fabric scraps, embroidery thread, silver. 8 x 9 x 1 cm
Photo by: James Bates Photography


There can also be a slight feeling of sadness in her work, and an almost desperate need to make things better again. To fix things, patch things up. Create something new out of all the leftovers of a life well lived, bearing witness to the joys and pain of teenage struggles, parents and parenting, marriage, divorce, creative growth and a constant desire to make, build and share.
I approach my practice like I do my life. With assertiveness, wise absurdity, passion and openness - asking so many questions and sometimes finding the answers.
Helen Clara Hemsley. Brooch: Sue Ellen is fine, 2011
Found silver brooch, paper, pen. 3 cm diameter.
Photo by: James Bates


A special thank you to Sarah Giersing for her observations and support.
 

About the author

Helen Clara Hemsley is an artist based in Copenhagen, Denmark, born in Durban, South Africa. With a BA on Fine Art Sculpture - Glasgow School of Art, and studies in jewellery, has a solid career on the field. Helen is inspired by the every day and the familiar and her work is about passion, love and curiosity.