Handmade Enamel Treasures by Kaori Juzu

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field of interference – brooch series #2 enamel, copper, 14kt gold.

I love it when craft can pull through and show its face in a number of different realms. Often you see this in galleries, where an artist creates using handiwork that might be considered craft. But they don’t use the material for functional purposes, mainly for expression and to build on a concept or idea. If there’s someone who sits in this murky area it would be artist Kaori Juzu. Born in Fukuoka, Japan she moved to Bornholm in Denmark to study art, where she then founded a small line of jewellery. After training with well-known Danish jewellery designer Per Suntum, Kaori set up her own studio producing experimental brooches.

Kaori crafts by hand what she now calls ‘klenodie’. This title is a Danish word for artefact, gem, jewel, or treasure, encapsulating her pieces under this wide spectrum. She uses a mixture of copper, silver, and gold depending on the idea at hand. The metal is carefully hammered and sculpted in to shape, after a mixture of enamels (powdered glass) are applied to the metal which react in the kiln at high temperature creating a unique colour pattern and surface texture. Her forms and compositions are quite exquisite, they remind me of abstract objects carefully arranged on a canvas, the only twist is that they’re actually made of metal and are at a smaller scale. It’s fantastic to see such experimentation.

The more I explore as a creative the less I’m worried about the particular medium used. It’s more impressive to see a creative use a multitude of materials to bring an idea in to fruition, overstepping the boundaries as it were. I’m intrigued by Kaori’s work and can’t wait to see more from her in the near future, if you have time I’d recommend watching this video piece on how she produces these objects and what inspires her. Enjoy!

klenodie.dk

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not me, but storyteller #1 – brooch 2010. enamel, copper, 14kt gold.

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storyteller #5 – brooch 2011. enamel, copper, silver.

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field of interference – brooch series #1 enamel, copper, 14kt gold.

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L4 – brooch 2011. Enamel, copper, silver.

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not me, but storyteller #2 – brooch 2010. enamel, copper, 14kt gold.

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voyage – brooch 2012. Enamel, copper, silver, 24kt gold, fine silver.

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Oct.2012 – deep, deep in autumn – brooch 2012. Enamel, copper, 14kt gold.

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