My passion for creating body adornment has left me with the question: Why do we adorn our bodies? Speaking for myself, I adorn my body with jewelry because it makes me feel beautiful. Jewelry helps me to visually stand out from others by enhancing my confidence and giving me a sense of security enabling me to express my inner thoughts and ideas. But there is another question: Why do I feel as though I NEED to decorate my body? Isn’t my natural beauty good enough? Do I choose to decorate myself so that others will recognize me as an individual? I think about the pressure I put on myself, as well as the expectations put on me by others, that cause a need to wear a second skin, to stand out, to be someone extraordinary. Although beautiful, body adornment can be a burden.

While exploring the history of the corset and body adornment of the Pacific Islands and Africa, I have created a metaphorical body of work that addresses my personal beliefs about body adornment in modern society. I am exploring the idea of how jewelry gives confidence and is perceived as beautiful when in fact it can be a burden; constricting, heavy and uncomfortable. Keeping these thoughts in mind I explore form, pattern and natural materials that are visually pleasing to me. This series is intended to be perceived as extravagantly beautiful while the wearer is in fact constricted and “burdened by her beauty”.