Artist’s statement about her work: 

My jewellery work is influenced by my on-going interest and research into the scientific properties of a variety of materials, including their transformations and combinations. I deliberately look for materials that contain notions of change. The action of experimenting and manipulating are important to my creative process. These concepts are underpinned by my interest in the subject of psychological trauma resulting from displacement and separation and psychic boundaries of fragmentation and transience. For me, such play resembles the scientific work of an alchemist! In my “Thought Suspended” neckpiece, I used a press-dried celosia flower, sandwiched between sheets of perspex, combined with brass rivets and brass torque. The celosia flower will decay and crumble over time, suggesting corporeal physical processes. Similarly, the “Reflections” necklace was influenced by the concept of duality of boundaries, both psychic and physical; they separate, offer protection and security but are vulnerable and fragile and can be broken into and hard to mend. The recombination of the fragments of broken glass through a process of electroforming using copper references this duality.

Follow Maureen on Instagram @klingelspruss.

About the experience at K2 Academy:

K2 Academy of Contemporary Jewellery is, for me, an ideal environment in which to realise my artistic creativity. It provides the opportunity for learning new jewellery techniques and practicing skills with the challenge of jewellery design, applying concepts related to the changing themes each term. Katrin Spranger and Kelvin Birk are above all artists, and the combination of their wide ranging and impressive goldsmithing skills with their artistic concepts, knowledge and practice, provide a demanding and thinking community of creative interactive learners who are strongly encouraged to experiment and embrace the challenges of both design and techniques. I am very happy to be one of their students.