Michaella Janse van Vuuren
My work is about experimentation and evolution, about art and science, and new materials and processes. I look at technology as a creative tool, and have turned to new methods of manufacturing and design that have pushed the boundaries beyond what could ever be achieved by conventional processes. Digital design and additive manufacturing have become my tools, and is the perfect medium to explore my artistic and technical interests. By means of 3D printing I have been able to give substance to my imagination, with no limit to realizing even the most elaborate image. I have found expression in the fantasy world of images from mythology and the sea. The jewelry designs are specimens to study and analyze, creating a narrative that mystifies us with their origins, as the materials are largely unknown, and yet seducing us with their beauty and intricacy. The geometric objects are reminiscent of the botanical drawings of Ernst Haeckel, electron microscope images of pollen and viruses, or the organic shapes that reflect the beautiful geometry found in nature.