February 2021

This piece is a chain of repeating spiraling pendants handmade from sterling silver wire and argentium silver wire. Total length 14.5”, width 0.5.”

 

How did you make this piece of art?

It all began with a scrap piece of copper wire and a pair of pliers—I was playing around with thought spiral symbolism and suddenly thought, what if I create a swirl that spirals in from both sides? At the time, I had no clear direction and unsure if this small swirl would amount to anything, much less a final piece. But as I experimented with sizing, proportions and metals, I found myself consumed in this repetitive process making each individual swirl over and over again. There were many times I found the repetition mundane and even questioned the value of the piece, but as I let my creative process flow without judgment, this piece finally came together.

 

What inspired you to create it?

Last year, the world exploded. COVID-19 turned everything inside out and upside down. Navigating this bizarre new world of social distancing and exclusively engaging in online environments left me in a completely unrecognizable daily life. With the computer now my lifeline, I questioned my life and this constant online state of being: was my life of any “real” substance, or was I just another black pixel on the computer screen? What did “real” even mean and why did I feel stripped of the humanness in my identity? As I navigated these questions, I noticed an interesting pattern in my thoughts: they would tend to form a circular monologue, often times leading me into a downward spiral.

 

This repetitive spiral motif in this piece mimics the spiraling pattern and movement of my thoughts. When connected together, a chain of these swirls, or a chain of my thoughts, form a powerful bond. While this bond can nurture and grow the mind, body and soul, it also has negative potential to spiral into a frightening world of darkness. Worn as a tight choker around my neck, this piece is an introspection on my thought patterns and movements—thus I call this piece My Existential Choker.

 

This is not only a personal piece of introspection, but further welcomes others to do the same and take a moment to ponder their own thought flow and patterns.