Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp. Artesis Plantijn University College

School / MunichJewelleryWeek2023

Published: 10.11.2023

Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp. Artesis Plantijn University College.

: Mutsaardstraat 31
2000 - Antwerp
BELGIUM

: Website Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp; Facebook Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp; Instagram Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp

Mail:: academieap.be; jewelleryantwerpacademyoutlook.com

Phone:: 0032 3 2137100

Photography by Max-Laurent De Cock

The Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp can look back on a rich historical tradition, which brings us back to 1663. As the world’s fourth oldest academy, it has an international reputation of 350 years. The Antwerp Academy provides the challenging environment for the soon-to-be designer or artist who wants a very individual and personal artistic education. It offers an English bachelor and master programme in Visual Arts with different courses going from the Fine arts: Sculpture, Painting, Printmaking, In situ and Photography, to the more design-oriented courses: Graphic design, Jewellery design, Gold-& Silversmithing, Fashion design and Theatre Costume design. The curriculum which offers a healthy balance between studio practice, supporting (art) theory and drawing classes will help the students to develop their own distinctive artistic practice.

Jewellery design, Gold & Silversmithing
Our urge to adorn, in which jewels and objects are the most important means of identification and expression, is both universal and timeless. Jewels and objects tell a story about the status and style, mentality, character and culture of the person using them. At the same time, they are a witness of social, cultural and technological developments. That is why Jewellery design, Gold- & silversmithing is such an exciting and many-faceted profession that, although it is founded on a rich craft tradition, is nevertheless subject to on-going development.

Our focus lies on the development of individual talent, creativity and the self-motivation of the student, by means of research, content development and self-reflection. In addition, attention is paid to the technical skills and practical insight needed for the craft. Technology and know-how of materials, gemmology, history of jewellery and 3D computer drawing, make this course an exciting voyage of discovery, where curiosity and imagination are continuously stimulated through the subject of jewellery.

The department facilitates to work in a variety of materials including precious metals, synthetics, wood and textiles. We invite guest lecturers, provide workshops and arrange visits to symposiums and exhibitions across Europe to cultivate a sound understanding of the broad spectrum of jewellery design in a contemporary world.

Courses

Bachelor Programme In Visual Arts Jewellery Design & Gold- And Silversmithing

12Sep2022 - 30Jun2025

DEADLINE: 18/Aug/2022

Application
Tags: BADegree

To enroll in a bachelor programme at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts you have to meet certain conditions, and pass the entrance exam.

The Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts programme is only available to candidate students who have passed the artistic entrance exam.

Per academic year, the academy organizes 2 artistic entrance exams for admission to the Bachelor of Visual Arts. The artistic entrance exam assesses your artistic insight, cultural knowledge, creativity, skills and motivation. This two-day test consists of different assignments and an interview during which we will also discuss your curriculum vitae, possible home assignments and your portfolio.

This year's trial will be (partially) digital and or physical. So be sure to take a look at Description: Portfolio, Assignment and Interview to see how the artistic trial will go for your chosen department.

Session 2: Thursday 1st of September and Friday 2nd of September 2022
->> Registration is possible until the 18th of August
->> Uploading documents (CV, portfolio and motivation letter + possible assignments to be submitted in advance) possible until the 24th of August

One can only participate once per academic year in the artistic entrance exam for a specific specialization and option within the Visual Arts programme.

Important note for candidates outside the EEA
Candidate students from outside the EEA are strongly advised to take part in the artistic entrance exam in July. Candidate students from outside the EEA must submit their application for a student visa as soon as possible after they have passed the artistic admission test. Only then can they obtain the necessary visa in time to attend classes from the start of the academic year and gain the necessary access to the Academy's buildings and facilities.

Please find the full application procedure on the official website.
Dutch version.

Master Programme In Visual Arts Jewellery Design & Gold And Silversmithing

13Sep2022 - 30Jun2023

DEADLINE: 17/Aug/2022

Application
Tags: MADegree

You obtained a BA (Honors) degree in the field of visual arts and you are craving to dig deeper in this fascinating realm? Maybe you would like to explore new horizons, expand your territory, make aquintance with new fellow students and faculty.

If you are serious about your ambitions than our College might be an excellent choice. The Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp is a renowned European institute for higher arts education (established 1663). We offer courses and graduate programs in Fine Arts (painting, sculpture, printmaking, in situ and photography) and Design (jewelry design, graphic design, costume design and fashion). During your master degree program you are challenged to articulate your authonomous degree project. Your preliminary artistic research will help you to define a concept and a significant body of artistic work (fashion, performance, prints, paintings…). Complimentary to your studio practice we offer theory classes and seminars to enhance your knowledge of culture, contemporary art or entrepenurial subjects. Last but not least we offer a broad range of (long or short term) interdisciplinary masterclasses.

Diploma condition:

Students with a bachelor's degree in Visual Arts, awarded by the Flemish Community, with a corresponding main discipline and competency profile will be allowed to enroll immediately.
Students with a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in Visual Arts with a corresponding discipline and competency profile, awarded by a university or university college from another country, will be taken into consideration after a positive outcome of the application procedure.
Students with a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) with a different discipline and competency profile will be taken into consideration for a pre-master programme (bridging programme) after a positive outcome of the application procedure.

Students without a bachelor's degree in Visual Arts awarded by the Flemish Community, with a corresponding main discipline and competency profile, will have to follow the application procedure before enrolling in the master programme.
The result of the application procedure Master will be as followed: Candidate-students will be either refused, allowed in the master’s program or allowed in a pre-master program.

Dates
The procedure for admission to the Master of Visual Arts will be organized twice in 2022, with the exception of the study program Fashion, for which the procedure for admission to the Master will only be organized once.
A first session will take place in March (interviews in April or May), a second session will take place in August (interviews in September) See table

Second session: For all nationalities. Interview (by appointment) September 2022.
Deadline registration and submitting digital portfolio: 17 August 2022 /00:00 Belgium local time.

Please find the full application procedure on official website.
Access to register: here.

Events

Jewellery Design, Gold and Silversmithing. Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp
2020
© By the author. Read Klimt02.net Copyright.

Gabrielė Šlekytė
Brooch: Purposeful Accidents, 2023
Plaster, paint, wax, stainless steel
7.3 x 1.2 x 12 cm
Photo by: Gabrielė Šlekytė

I'm fascinated by what old urban and rural walls tell me. It seems I have discovered a secret door to a new connection with my everyday surroundings. Through captured images, a rich tapestry unfolds—landscapes taking shape, fragments of the world map, a vibrant microworld teeming with life, layers of history or people's personal stories.
When I discover a meaningful result through my process, it instantly holds great value for me. Consequently, it is vital that I continue to explore and provide room for the growth of this material, allowing it to be incorporated into jewelry that can be cherished when worn on the body. With my work, I aim to attract people's attention to the unique qualities of those created layers. I hope to evoke that same personal response and curiosity that arises when time seems to stand still, and we can explore every part of a piece.

Chanyoung Chan
Pendant: Prosthetic for a blackbird, 2023
Oxidized brass, silver
7.2 x 4.2 x 3.2 cm
Photo by: Emile Pison
From series: My Dear

Sometimes we put an effort into something even though we know the desired result is impossible to achieve.
When our loved one is heading to the end of their life, we try to hold on to them. The main reason can be that we don’t want to say goodbye so easily.
However, while trying to keep them with us, we can slowly empty our minds, letting go of them.
A picked lily, a broken acorn, a dead butterfly, rats.. they are my patients. Even if someone says that there is no chance to cure them, my hope and desire will be there to achieve the impossible.

Kexin Zhang
Object: City Rats, 2023
Rat bones
5 x 6 x 19.5 cm
Photo by: Nuo Chen
From series: Elegy
© By the author. Read Klimt02.net Copyright.

Yuxi Lu
Installation: Urban lichen, 2022
Collected chewing gum, Petri dish, nutritious agar, light plate
42 x 3 x 30 cm
Photo by: Yuxi Lu
From series: Urban Archeology Lab

How will urban materials change in hundreds of years? What will they look like to future archeologists?
Can we still recognize whether they are natural or artificial objects under the rapid development of technology?
Yuxi Lu created a fictional Urban Archeology Lab (founded in 2430) in a bunker of the city of Antwerp. She is inviting visitors to enter the immersive space to discover future archeological findings and documentation. The objects displayed there mirror the shreds of evidence of urban life from the 21st century to the later 25th century. For example, brick from building sites, receipt paper from supermarkets, chicken wire from a house, and chewing gum from streets evolved over time. These recognizable objects transform into biomorphic forms with characteristics of flora, fauna, and minerals. Yuxi Lu hopes to make the audience wonder whether these objects are the result of natural forces or human and machinery manipulation over hundreds of years. She wants to raise awareness about the current state of nature and of human society, as much as stimulate the imagination about a new world for the audience.

Miks Vigni
Necklace: Untitled, 2023
Silicon, magnets, foam
20 x 5 x 200/220 cm
From series: Catharsis (they killed her)

Martina is dead now.

It could not be otherwise, she could not stay all her life in front of me, taking my place, my life, and using it as her own.
And maybe Martina never even existed, maybe she was just a reflection of what you wanted her to be.
How she died you might wonder, well suicide, sort of.
She wanted to kill herself, I just helped.
I’m the result of her death and the cause.
I’ve always been with her, but I’ve never been her.
All I had to do was die a little, to survive.
But while she died, they were born.
I reborn.
I decided to take that body that never belonged to me and make it mine.
Now I can finally be what I’ve always wanted.
Look like I always dreamed.
Martina has died,
but Miks is born,
and they are not going to leave.

Jill Depuydt
Earrings: Incoming Air, 2023
Silver, copper, plastic
9 x 1.5 x 12.5 cm
Photo by: Axelle Degrave
From series: All I need

Because of the pressure and stress in our society, it is no longer natural to know what you need to come to yourself. How can you figure this out, what can help you?
Personally, I see a guideline in the laws of aerodynamics. These laws are scientific, but can just as easily be read symbolically. They help in creating awareness for a balanced life.
By using these laws, I can make feelings visible that are difficult to explain. Urge to stand with both feet on the ground or to take it all more lightheartedly and dare to dream and make mistakes translates into a piece I knit. I embrace the stitches where I made a mistake. Slowing down and allowing yourself to relax becomes visible in a jewel that catches the air through a thin plastic sheet. You may also need some willpower or self-confidence, I translated this into a striking ring inspired by a moving sphere.
The sphere/circle is central to my works.
It symbolizes unity, completeness, and infinity.
It contributes to a better union of body and mind.

Fengyang Jiang
Brooch: Untitled, 2023
Plastic packages of mandarins, brass, thread
Photo by: Yuxi Lu
From series: Mandarange

It's not a feeling of missing someone or a place, or a meeting or a morning, it's a very vague kind of feeling that comes from being in a familiar environment. As I am now in a different culture environment, I subconsciously look for similar elements around me to complement this feeling.
The whole project is built on such emotions.
I chose to make the plastic packaging of mandarins into jewellery. This is both a reflection and distillation of the culture of hometown, as well as an integration and re-creation of the culture in a different context.
Sometimes people describe life in a foreign country in their mother tongue, sometimes they tell the story of their homeland in a foreign language. Cultural differences and interculturality are very grand themes. I tend to present them from a more intimate perspective. For this reason, the whole project seems to be closely related to food culture. After all, life is just three meals and a bed. The simplest wish is to eat and drink well wherever you are.

Ildze Bogana
Ring: Changing Ring, 2023
Brass, polycarbonate
3 x 3 x 4.5 cm
Photo by: Ildze Bogana
From series: Unfinished Settings for Treasuretrash

Most collections, once carefully classified and catalogued, find their place behind glass doors, in drawers and dusty archives.
The collection 'Unfinished Settings for Treasuretrash' should never do that. These treasures emerged from darkness to continue their life. They can interact with one another and create new stories, and then change them again, because nothing is set to be decided and finished forever. How to make this ongoing change possible? How to engage the spectator to actively participate in this endevour?
The jewellery constructions are meant to provide a platform for the process of ever ongoing change. The treasures here are arranged deliberately to create compositions - not only visually appealing but also conveying an image of personality, a fictional or real story, as well as, for example, a small imaginary taxonomic group, ready to be dismantled and reimagined anew differently. The devices also serve as a means to reflect on the way we assess and proclaim the value of elements in the world surrounding us.

Shunxin Chen
Ring: One bone, 2023
Bones, ceramics
From series: Burning. Reborn. Newborn

A bone is burning in flames，
don't want to become a waste that no one cares about at the dining table,
In scorching fire, its embers reflect a whole life of being trapped and unwanted.
Crying, breaking in the fire…and then it reborn.
It was finally free. The boy going to create his own further by hand.

Shunxin Chen

Jodie De Verney
Brooch: Geweven Ratio, 2023
Silver, steel, treads
From series: Geweven Ratio

Each small, repeated action can translate into something new.
Letting your consciousness cooperate with the hand, which is inseparable through concentration and patience.
A sense of harmony that releases the noise all around. In this monologue, I experience a search for the self, the slowness of this process brought me closer.
As an introvert, it is easier to express myself visually. It gives me time to think, about what I want to say.
This creates the desire to create. Capturing this experience of time is my way of letting my consciousness speak, my language is visual.

Jente Fleerackers
Bracelet: It is just jewellery, 2023
Silver
From series: Is it just jewellery

A Wedding ring without its symbolism is just a decorative piece of gold.
What is the purpose of jewellery apart from the social constructs or meanings that we give to them? Jewellery (most of the time) doesn’t really serve a practical goal. What if utilitarian objects, who do have a functional purpose, are changed in their form to no longer serve this functionality and are placed on the body? Do we then end up with jewellery as if we are closing a circle of thoughts?
Intrigued by the boundaries between utilitarian objects and jewellery I started analysing functional objects from my daily life. When stripped from (or altered in) their practical characteristics, are they then just jewellery? Or do these objects transform into something new? A walking cane gets attached to the ear, a place where jewellery is normally worn, but doesn’t really change into a jewellery piece. It becomes an impossible object. From a shirt only the cuffs remain and get transformed into metal. The ‘shirt’ no longer serves to dress or to protect, it looses its practical value but becomes a decorative element.
Changing functionalities results in objects that negate or confirm the act of wearing.

Margot Opdebeeck
Bracelet: It’s me, 2023
Silver, persplex
From series: It’s me

Dating is not an easy thing to do. You make yourself vulnerable, you let people in, and you have certain responsibilities because you are supposed to make a commitment to someone. This can be a scary thing. A lot of people struggle with fear of commitment, myself included.

It’s a fear that occurs to me whenever a relationship with a significant other becomes too close. I don’t understand these feelings myself and I don’t know where they come from, so I tried to translate them into visual language. Suffocation, feeling trapped, uncomfortableness and independence are the feelings that dominate. The fear enters my body. Once it gets too big, I try to get rid of this as fast as possible, without considering the feelings of the other person. I become impatient, rude and selfish. This dark, demonic shadow – that once was the fear – has gotten the best of me and has taken complete control.

Lena D’Hoore
Badge: Untitled, 2020
Photo, aluminium, stainless steel.
Photo by: Miia Kota

Models: Tom Smeyers and Lena D’Hoore.
Statement: In her work Lena D’Hoore looks back on her past and present life and sees how gender stereotypes are limiting us from a very young age onwards. It feeld like a big part of our life has already been determinded before we are even born. Lena discusses some themes which are important in the further development of an individual, and is in the search for a middle ground in between these different structures created by our society.

Mariel M Matute
Piece: Untitled, 2020
Textile.
Photo by: Oxiea Villamonte

Model: Berenike Gregoor.
Statement: Mariel M. Matute presents a storytelling about her research in the history of gender equality. A series of embroideries which each pattern is based on drawings inspired by the protagonists of the stories. Men, women and children who have been affected by our cruel society. The artist proposed an interaction between the audience and the embroideries, lettting the audience decide to form it into wearable pieces.

Cunshuo Ma
Ring: Interactive Creature, 2020
3D print resin, steel nail, silicon tube, magnet.
7 x 7 x 9 cm
From series: Interactive Creature

Statement: Cunshuo Ma uses his work to extend the wearing experience between wearer and jewellery. His series “Interactive creature” combines the physical interaction of the wearer with jewellery language. The structure of his pieces invites to study the reaction of movement, to interact, play and have fun.

Olga Timkova-Liakhovska
Necklace: Untitled, 2020
Silver, aluminum, leather.

Statement: For Olha Timkova-Liakhovska viruses and bacteria have a stong influence on our body. Invading our body, they impair its functioning. They became a source of inspiration for her project and a symbol of not healthy thoughts and ideas that have taken root in to people minds. They form a shell concealing true thoughts and goals. To take a look at them she invites you to come closer.

Ye Wang
Piece: Foot Wear N.2, 2020
Door, shoes.
82 x 204 x 17 cm

Statement: Ye Wang works with ideas about man being the measure of the world. From birth onwards, the world around us is gradually build up from the experiences of life. In any exploration and adventure, it is a personal experience that connects us to the world around us. We use ourselves as a ruler to measure the world, to feel, to touch, to smell, to hear, to tast, to wear…Every second that passes frames these experiences, feelings and emotions into some sort of eternity that can never be replicated or replaced. This is how Ye feel about jewellery.

Mara Balode
Necklace: River 1, 2020
Aluminium, silk, UV resin, mixed media.
52 x 20 x 1.5 cm
From series: Sun & Set
Statement: Since studying at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Mara has engaged with two central subjects: light and memory. Her primary research contains exploration and the development of new materials. Through creating and refining three dimensional forms, she honed and recognised ways to portray her fascination; the subject of light. As an innately broad topic, she focuses on three aspects – reflection, colour, and time. In her work, she aims to ‘preserve’ light, with reflection and colour playing the role of the visual aspects and time as the performative.
© By the author. Read Klimt02.net Copyright.

Shenglin Cheng
Ring: Leaving Blank, 2020
800 silver.
2019
Statement: “Liu Bai” (leave blank) - a technique wildly used in Chinese traditional painting, which means to leave some places blank, to emphasis the main figures and provide possibility for viewers to feel the atmosphere and environment in the painting. It comes from the philosophy of Chan (Zen) Buddhism: "form is emptiness, emptiness is form".
© By the author. Read Klimt02.net Copyright.

Jade Houben Dahlia
Body piece: Vibroyant - Dahlia, 2020
Polyester, Vlisofix, synthetic dye.
30 x 30 x 7 cm
From series: Vibroyant

Model: Sophia De Groot.

Statement: The pieces that were created for my master collection have been selected to show the wide variety of possibilities of its assembly technique when it is executed in different ways. Changing the way of designing and/or connecting the surfaces, makes it possible to create completely different shapes, volumes, and movements. Each approach has the potential to translate into a more subtle or expressive design.

Julia Mercier
Ring: Apparition No 1, 2020
Silver, gold plated silver, mica.
From series: Apparition
Statement: My work was first influenced by the hypothesis of researcher Helen Hansma, claiming that the first form of life appeared in between layers of mica. This mystery triggered both my curiosity for science and enthusiasm for fictional narratives. I got inspired by the process of something appearing, both in the meaning of starting to exist as well as being visible to the eye. In my work I intend to transmit this sense of fascination for what surrounds us, the desire to observe, and question our own eyes.
© By the author. Read Klimt02.net Copyright.

Julia Garcia Rubio
Object: Ephémère, 2020
Silver.
Photo by: Lineta Liduma
From series: Ephémère
Statement: Through their shapes, textures, movements, hands reveal different aspects of our lives. Their charismatic dance brings meaning and an additional richness to our communication. I like to think that our hands are an ephemeral and temporal beauty. They mirror our lives and thus reveal part of the truth. A truth that is not always bright and that we are not very proud of. Certain significant moments in our lives leave a trace on our hands, sometimes visible, sometimes subtle. Often injured, we tend to hide them. And yet, it is a part of our body that is difficult to cover, because it is regularly used.
© By the author. Read Klimt02.net Copyright.

Fien Verbeke
Object: Every Medal has Two Sides, 2020
Wood, 24k gold.
Photo by: Fien Verbeke
From series: All That Glitters is Not Gold
Statement: In my work I want to bring knowledge, consciousness and start a discussion about the social and environmental impact of gold in relation to jewellery. I want to be a storyteller bringing awareness by incorporating my own experience, life lessons, norms and values in my pieces, but mostly to encourage the viewer to learn and form their own opinion. To do this, I am inspired by the Lega people who make a string of proverbs: Objects referring to one or several proverbs, strung on a line of cord in a village square, triggering the telling of stories and the exchange of ideas.
© By the author. Read Klimt02.net Copyright.

Yuyeong Choi
Piece: Untitled, 2019
Plexiglass, brass.
25 x 25 x 25 cm
From series: My Developed Sence of Self

BA 2019.

By moving to Antwerp from Gwangju I was required to blend into another culture…. this displacement requires a period of adaptation.
My collection addresses stages of such a transition with a series of face accessories that function as tools for deflection with which i can hide. But also, and eventually, the collection reveals a more relaxed sense of acceptance and of self.

Adelina Cioancã
Brooch: Frozen memories but melting fast, 2019
Foam, silver 925, fine silver, stainless steel, resin.
Photo by: Kaat Somers
From series: Frozen Memories (melting fast!)

BA 2019.

Playing on sugar sweet childhood memories of long summer vacations, I have developed a visual and material language with the intention of triggering ideas of flavour, fun and joy.
My jewellery explores anti-aesthetics as a wearable, made to look naughty, sticky, messy and delicious. I want my jewellery as a medium to carry all of the above associations.

Nina Faivre
Brooch: Falling Petals, 2019
Silver, shell.
30 cm
Photo by: Miia Kota
From series: Illustration of Amnesia

BA 2019.

We all build an understanding of life based on our experience of events, persons, moments, that define a sense of ourselves and link us to the world.
However, in the case of Amnesia the information we gather through life declines, fades and disappears.
In my work I translate this process through illustration to describe the feeling of fragility, and loneliness of those who suffer the malady. I take details from my drawings to create shapes and components and construct necklaces and other jewellery to continue this sense of a disappearing memory, a fading chain a fragile life.

Maria Gulavskaya
Bracelet: Bent Knee, 2019
Cardboard, wood.
12.8 x 3.2 x 9.1 cm
Photo by: Jelle Sluyts
From series: Body Map

BA 2019.

This work presents my research into the relationship between a circle and a human body, specifically my body. I work with the circle to frame a defined space between the circle circumference and the outer surface of my body: the elbow, knee, ankle and wrist. I scan these framed locations to map the shape and silhouette of myself. The scans are sliced on the computer and then cut into layers of Plexiglas and card. The results manifest as two mini-series: one being objects that wear the shape of the body and the second series being wearables that propose the body is the jewel to wear.

Katla Karlsdottir
Earrings: Half round Crystals, 2019
Silver, telephone screens, brass.
From series: What happens to all the broken screens?

BA 2019.

Smartphones contain a high amount of precious materials - copper, gold, silver and even more high tech materials such as sapphire glass and iron-bathed glass, to make them durable. But how durable are they?
…not much, compared to the life-span of jewellery and the raw materials listed above.
I have built a collection of jewellery by manipulating phone screens with heat and pressure to achieve new textures and surfaces that mimic the properties of precious minerals. Lustre, iridescence and facets have been forced from the flat screens to create new impressions.

Liuhong Li
Earrings: Do Son, 2019
Silver, mother of pearl.
9 x 4.5 x 0.4 cm
From series: Wearing/Seeing Perfume

BA 2019.

How does a perfume feel?
What does a perfume look like?
These are the questions I asked myself at the start of this project.
My impressions of a scent create a scene in my mind, and the aim of my jewellery collection is to translate details of that scene.
I select materials to represent the ingredients that form the notes and structure of the perfume, and I illustrate them too, with graphic motifs and delicate fluid lines.
Wearing my jewellery = wearing my perfume.

Valeria Naumova
Ring: Sensuality, 2019
Silver, modeling compounds.
9 x 7 cm
From series: Sensuality

BA 2019.

The spiralled columns of the temple of Solomon offer an important beginning and meaning to my collection. A twisting formation brings a variety of meanings across different cultures, but my interpretation of this symbol is dynamism, creation and becoming.
In my work, I aim to capture the sensual curved forms inspired by the body to create a series of accessories that wrap and intertwine with the wearer. Using a combination of hard and soft, precious and non-precious materials I offer a dynamic and powerful unity between the work and wearer.

Luca Sági
Brooch: Pink surprise, 2019
Slate, brass, paper foil, steel.
8 x 1.5 x 6 cm
Photo by: Aron Viszlo
From series: My Antwerp Streetscapes

BA 2019.

I photograph details of the streets that grab my attention when I walk along my daily routes to the academy and around town. These images capture combinations rich in texture, colour and material contrast. In response to these I made a series of brooches with materials collected from these streets, the workshops and garden. My brooches offer wearable extracts from my perspective of the city.

Gille Peeters
Head piece: Eye Mask, 2019
Plexiglass, brass, aluminium, lenses.
14.1 x 18.7 cm
Photo by: Lars Moereels
From series: Glitched expression

BA 2019

When I think of robots the first thing I picture is a tin shaped figure that talks with an autonomous voice, that has legs arms and a head, that all move mechanically, with a face showing no emotion. In fact, we are surrounded by robots every day, in the form of smart gadgets, and other software, but we just don’t always see them.
For us humans, there is an important and integral separation between us and the robots which is our ability to feel, express and articulate instinctive emotion. However sometimes I don’t want to be read, and most of the time I don’t want to be monitored by technology and robots.
As a reaction I have made a collection of jewellery that functions as defence tools by hiding, disguising and restricting our gestures and facial expressions.

Youzhi Bi
Brooch: Landscape, 2019
Fine silver, stainless steel wire.
60 x 1 x 7 cm
From series: Trace

Youzhi Bi (b.1995, China) is a master student of the Jewellery Design, Gold & Silversmithing department at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp. Before this, she obtained a Bachelor degree from Sheffield Hallam University in 2016.
One of the most exciting moments of her art making is to be encountered with a blank sheet of paper ready to be transformed. Worrying about making it dirty, Youzhi always tries to control the lines of her drawings to be sharp and accurate.
However, no paper can stay clean, and no drawing can be perfect.
What is believed to be a mistake is actually what makes a drawing a personal distinctive piece of art.
She found a way to keep that sensation of drawing on paper, but this time by using thin fine silver, it is pale, soft, and gets scratched easily. Youzhi traces her landscapes on the fine silver, as she would have on paper.
She uses only a few structured lines to define nature scenes and folds these drawings into wearable brooches.
While wearing the brooches, you cannot evade scratching the surface. These scratches will be part of the natural mistake as there are no rules of how the tree grows and how the mountains are laying one behind another.
The first scratches break your heart because they feel like a mistake after it is them that allow the viewer to trace a story. Through wearing the pieces, they evoke further storytelling by their daily contact with the body.

Vie Stessens
Piece: Fork & Fly, 2019
Silver, plastic, horn, other metal.
10 x 0.5 x 16 cm
Photo by: Tina Herbots
From series: From survival to revival

Hair clip.

Vie Stessens (b. 1994, Belguim) is currently a master student at the Jewellery Design, Gold & Silversmithing Department at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp.
We all often keep some jewellery that we don’t wear anymore because we have a feeling or memory attached to it. It ends up in a box deeply hidden in a cabinet or drawer. More and more jewellery just lies there with no particular reason or the potential to be worn in the near future.
The industry keeps on producing and we keep on buying every season. But what happens with all this jewellery we don’t wear anymore?
Vie wants to tackle this problem in her work. She is as well a collector of these hidden away treasures and sees value and possibilities in them.
The unexpected unique combinations are the starting point of her process and stand central in her way of working. With the forgotten jewellery she creates new, transformed and wearable pieces. She rediscovers the jewellery through making new combinations and the way she assembles them together she creates new unique pieces ready to wear again.
Vie’s intuitive way of combining and assembling makes her pieces appealing and if you look well there is a touch of wittiness.
In her way of working she merges humor, creativity and metalwork skills. Her collection, ‘From survival to revival’, breathes new life into the old, hidden pieces.

Lera Treyger
Bracelet: The recollections, 2019
Silver, glass.
18 x 1 x 1 cm
From series: The recollections

Lera Treyger is currently ﬁnishing her Master degree in Jewellery Design, Gold and Silversmithing at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp.
`The recollections` project is focused on jewellery, that has a strong meaning to people as they received it from loved ones. Even so, they do not feel any desire to wearing it. There are different reasons why: such as a completely different taste, size or even another religious belief. Still, people want to preserve the emotional connection with the person, and they are storing these presents in their drawers. But are these memories alive if jewellery is hidden in boxes and are not worn anymore?
Lera collects these jewellery, interviews the owners and reﬂects on their stories. She develops her personal approach to each person by combining their aesthetics and memories into new wearable jewellery with no intervention on the original one. As Lera wants to save the visual connection between a piece of jewellery and a wearer she chose transparent glass as one of the main tools in her project.
Through working with a glass artist, Lera combines borosilicate glass and precious metals with the old pieces of jewellery. By changing the way of wearing them, masking, hiding or contrariwise magnifying and emphasising the original pieces she creates a new contemporary design.
Finally, new wearable jewellery returns to the owner, but this time the memory comes out of the box.

Sophia de Groot
Body piece: Interlinked, 2019
3D printed stainless steel.
Photo by: Casper Fitzhue
From series: Interlinked

Sophia de Groot (b. 1993, Netherlands) is a Masters student of the Jewellery Design, Gold and Silversmithing Department at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp.
In her research, Sophia is exploring movement within the limitation of one material and it’s possibilities within one autonomous piece. She is searching for a way to create fluidity in one continuous shape. One form of jewellery that embodies these properties is chain.
In her work she considers the links of a chain and the way they are connected as an item into itself and not just as a support for other jewellery; the chain and it’s a repetitive connection as the main subject in her jewellery pieces.
Sophia is a digital craftsman who unites technology, craftsmanship and art. She crosses with her designs in multiple disciplines. By making 3D printed stainless steel links and assembling them in a repetitive way by the hand she makes unique combinations of chain pieces.
Because of her research, she was on- and offline in connection with different people around the world who all contributed in some way in her work. The beauty in the digital world is that everyone is linked and want to help in making solutions for the problems you’re facing. Everyone elements connected, like a chain.
We are all linked.
One by one.
Moving on our own.
Very tight or loosely.
But interlinked together.

Xinyuan Hu
Bangle: A Bangle from Another Angle, 2018
White jade, laquer with gold powder, green jade, HETIAN jade, 3D print polyamide, iron.
Photo by: Guo Rong

Hu Xinyuan (1991, China) obtained her BA degree in Product Design from Ningbo University, then spent one year doing an internship at a jewellery design company. This experience prompted her to begin to explore the world of jewellery.

In Belgium, she completed a BA in Jewellery Design, Gold and Silversmithing at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp and is currently finishing her MA degree.

In western culture, a marriage proposal is not complete without a diamond engagement ring. It is such a common tradition, that it is hard to believe it is the result of a successful advertising campaign by De Beers, started only 75 years ago.

In Chinese culture, the jade bangle has a similar meaning to the engagement ring. Jade bangles are given to the future fiancé as part of the proposal - their perfect circular shape is a symbol of eternal love and a blissful union. But Xinyuan believes that love can be seen from different perspectives and that each relationship deserves a unique symbol to represent the many facets and varieties of love that exist.

For her Master's project, Xinyuan has reinterpreted the classic round jade bangle using 3D CAD software and traditional stone cutting techniques to create a collection of bangles. Through her work, she has developed a relationship between material and shape to create multiple versions of the original, traditional bangle - A bangle from another angle.

Zeyun Chen
Object: Previously Underground, 2018
Potato, sweet potato, taro, purple sweet potato.
Photo by: Molly Kwok

What is value? This is a question that Zeyun is fascinated by and which forms the core of her Masters' project. At first glance, you might not recognise the material she has used to create her objects. Could it be wood? Bone? Or is it a precious material such as coral, shell or ivory - materials that are worth treasuring? Her objects are, in fact, made of potato.

The potato is a very common, hardy vegetable with a very colourful history. Originally from Peru, the potato was first introduced to Europeans by the Spanish and was not thought highly of until food shortages and famines forced the meat-loving citizens of England and France to turn to the food they had reserved for animals. With this, the potato saved lives and it is hard for us now to imagine how valuable the potato was to those suffering from famine. Most people today think potatoes are very ordinary; a common starch, only to be used to soak up the gravy from a delicious meal.

When these vegetables are hand carved and dehydrated, they become sturdy and tough. The sweet potato and taro vegetables come in bright shades of purple and orange, while the common baking potato gives a wonderfully delicate ivory. Zeyun became obsessed with potatoes and has created a collection celebrating its features and complex relationship to value.

Emma Gregory
Bracelet: Watercolours and What I'm Looking For, 2018
Laser-welded stainless steel, Nano-ceramic e-coating.
Photo by: Zuzanna Głód
From series: Polyrhythmic

Hand model: Emma MF Gregory and Ivo van Herreweghe.

Emma Gregory (1991) is a Masters student of the Jewellery Design, Gold and Silversmithing Department at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp. Before this she obtained a Bachelors degree from the Glasgow School of Art and a state certification from the Goldschmiedeschule in Pforzheim.

Emma has been developing a unique form of wearable musical notation for electronic dance music. Through her own interpretation of the music, highly polished stainless steel wires are laser-welded into tiny, detailed shapes that match the rhythms and harmonies. The songs are transformed into precious necklaces, bracelets - long chains designed to be wrapped around the body and kept close like treasured artefacts.

Her research led her to enrol in a master-class on typography and writing systems, and an electronic music course at the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp. She chose to focus on electronic dance music because she sees unique similarities in the balance between research, technique and artistry achieved in both jewellery design and the production of dance music.