Untitled by Lara Dheedene

Lara Dheedene’s artistic project is inspired by formal investigations of architecture, a comparative study of jewellery practices from the 1980s and the theory of philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty who devoted himself to the complexity of perception and the body. Through her jewellery designs, Lara applies and explores the concept of the body scheme that Merleau-Ponty proposes in his phenomenological study. For Lara, this body scheme becomes a personal research space that she feels challenged to explore further and internalize. Drawing from architectural principles, such as three-dimensionality and construction, Lara builds her metal jewellery pieces. Through their surprising scale, they challenge the wearer. Humans and their bodies are essential, wearability is played with, and design is key.