Floral Body Adornments Workshop with Jens Jakobsen
Article by Trisha Kalra
In January 2024, our Level 3 and Level 4 Diploma students participated in a unique workshop organised by K2 Academy as part of the course curriculum. Run by a floral artist and gardener Jens Jakobsen from Jens Jakobsen Floral Construction & The Onion Garden, the workshop focused on creating body adornments and sculptures from deconstructed and reconstructed fresh flowers. This concept, while simple in its essence, opened up a world of possibilities for our students. It allowed them to explore the boundaries between nature, art, and jewellery, while developing their work within this term’s conceptual theme ‘Flowers & Blossoms’
K2 Academy transformed into a florist workshop for a day!
Deconstructed flower by Tue Sando
The Process: Deconstructing and Reimagining
The workshop began with the careful deconstruction of the various fresh flowers that Jens brought with him and the students were introduced to the unique shape, texture, and colour of each blossom. Under Jens' expert guidance, they learned how to carefully disassemble these blooms and put them back together using different methods, including using wire and flower glue. When asked, every student in the workshop most enjoyed the process of making new flowers from the pre-existing ones, letting their imagination and craftsmanship converge. This process was not just about taking apart but also about understanding and appreciating the intricate details of natural forms. Students reassembled the floral elements into original designs, transforming them into stunning pieces of body ornamentation that were both visually appealing and structurally sound.
Jens Jakobsen's expertise in floral construction and his invaluable insights and tips helped the students produce exceptionally creative jewellery and body pieces. His dedication to pushing the boundaries of traditional floristry was infectious, inspiring our students to explore new avenues of creative expression.
The students experimented with all sorts of plants, including vegetables and flowers.
Deconstructing the plants turned out to be the best part of the process.
The Vision behind Diploma Courses at K2 Academy
This creative workshop with Jens Jakobsen was a testament to our academy's commitment to innovation, encouraging students to challenge conventional design norms. We encouraged our students to use this exercise to not only make the body jewellery, but to also cultivate their researching skills and inform their future creative practices. Every term students enrolled in our diploma courses are given technical and conceptual themes. In the past these have included architecture, fading, snow and ice, borders, connections, water and the human body to name a few. This term, the theme was ‘Flowers and Blossoms’ which was the reason for inviting Jens into our workshop, to help students respond creatively to the set theme. Exercises or workshops of this sort are part of the curriculum of the Level 3 and Level 4 diploma courses at K2. If K2 Academy’s vision appeals to you, our enrollments are open from January to September every year. The spots are limited, so we recommend prompt enrolment. Get in touch today via email info@k2jewelleryacademy.london to book an interview.
Find out more about our Diploma Courses
Enrolment is now open for courses starting September 2024!
The creative outcomes of the workshop
The result of this workshop was an interesting and beautiful exhibition of floral body jewellery. Each student created a piece that reflected the individuality and creativity of its creator. From delicate wrist corsages to bold shoulder pieces, the range of designs showcased the incredible versatility of flowers as a medium for body ornamentation. We also gathered the inspirations behind the students’ works, which you can read below.
David Marques (Level 4 Student)
As human beings we fade and grow older. I used petals to represent the fleeting beauty of youth. All ages of a flower has its own beauty - and so do we.
Tue Sando (Level 4 Student)
Through the project I realised that flowers are just materials. I explored taking apart the flowers and using the individual parts to create imaginary phantom flowers. Don’t let the beauty of the flower hold you back from reconstructing it.
Sue Noble (Level 4 Student)
I aimed to make the fragile and detailed aspects of the flowers the focal point, setting them in the structural space of twigs and twine. I also liked the repetition of shapes to build form, like the tulip petal ring.
Miriam Demattia (Level 4 Student)
My process was inspired by the idea of gardens and fields and I really focused on the idea of constructing and inventing new flowers from deconstructed ones.
Miri Shalom (Level 4 Student)
I surprisingly really enjoyed this workshop as I’m usually not a fan of flowers and don’t see a point to them. For my pieces, I kind of worked intuitively and liked the process of creating flowers out of pre-existing ones, using this concept to make statement pieces. I wanted to combine the creative process with wearability and enjoyed piecing together the different colours in the flowers.
Zoe Lambert (Level 3 Student)
Ellie Soyka (Level 3 Student)
Kyvely Vlahakis
About Jens Jakobsen
Jens Jakobsen is a Danish floral artist and grdener, a founder of Jens Jakobsen Floral Constructions and The Onion Garden- a sustainable Green Community Hub in Westminister established to help locals, workers and visitors reconnect with nature and each other. In his floral creations Jens combines elements of celebration, happiness and sophistication to realise a personal, energetic and chic design.
