Interview with Kaori Juzu

Do you think that jewellery is being standardized? What is there of local and universal in your artistic work?
Jewellery is a big word. Some fields of jewellery are aiming to be standardized for the sake of general marketing. That kind of jewellery is not my cup of tea. As a Japanese living in Denmark the local aspect is not narrow. The materials I use are very simple, enamel and metal, they are at the same time universal. Inspiration is universal.

What do you expect when exposing your work to the public (for example with an exhibition)?
I have no special expectations, but I do hope that there will be some people who dare to take their time to pay attention and experience the moment with my work. But to be honest, when I am about to open any exhibition, I am normally completely burned out both physically and mentally. I simply have no space left in my mind to expect something particular…

Are other areas besides the jewellery, present in your work?
I guess so, but it is hard to name what it is exactly. There is a crazily intensive working period and then a period where I need to have a distance from “jewellery”. They seem to continue in a circle. Then I wonder if I ever get energy back to create new jewellery, but some concrete happening, such as paintings, art work, installation, someones’s story or undiscribeable subjective matter, such as feeling, emotion, memory inspire me and I begin to work with jewellery once again. But funny enough, so far I have never got this new energy back by seeing other jewelleries, eventhough I can feel they are beyond my imagination and so wonderful. I just have to cut off from “jewellery” sometimes.

The last work, book, film, city that has moved me was...
The works at Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum. It is like physical time doesn’t exist there, but only endless time that those stones are carrying and the extra life added by Isamu Noguchi, so powerful, yet subdued. Also Tora Urup, a Danish Glass artist/designer’s award winning exhibition blew my mind last year.

A place, space, country whose creativity surprises me...
Dia:Beacon – What a space! There I felt for the first time truly closer to big-scaled contemporary art and got space to understand them without being sickly overwhelmed. To experience the works of Agnes Martin, Sol LeWitt, Donald Judd, Fred Snadback, Michael Heizer, Louise Bourgeois, John Chamberlain, Richard Serra and so on being there almost by myself was so luxurious.

Is there any designer, jeweller, artist, you appreciate a lot?
Besides numerous jewellery artists I appreciate and respect, I admire Agnes Martin, Chillida, Bill Brandt, Vilhelm Hammershoei, Leif Kath, Niels Lergaard, Claus Johansen, Martin Puryear… whose works never make me tired, but yet ignite in me a quiet and strong flame again and again.
 
What piece or work has given you the most satisfaction?
More or less each time when I finish a piece, there is a certain strong satisfaction, though with time this personal satisfaction fades away sometimes. But if we talk about pieces that I can’t ignore, then the very early work: BECOMING series was a crucial point of my career, since through that process I explored enamel; possibilities of form and colour as I begun to unfold my potential of working with enamel. Then with the public recognition of the brooch: DANCES AT DAWN enamelling truly became the central point for my work.
 
Do you read Jewellery Magazines? What is your source to get information?
Not really magazines, but books. I get some practical information from Klimt02 or from local networks.
 
Do you discuss your work with other jewellery artists or any other person?
Yes, I am so lucky that my husband Per Suntum is also my mentor and we can freely talk about each other’s works. I have also some colleagues in Denmark with whom I can talk about practical issues, specially a few of them and we can honestly discuss and support each other’s creativity.
 
What is your first thought when you hear the word Future?, What do you expect for?
For me the future is a part of stream of time being. Instead of expecting something for the future, I rather stay present to the present now: Live to live.