Three unique brooches come together to represent a group of displaced people.

Sadly, large groups of refugees exist worldwide. When you join such a group, society makes you anonymous and often invisible. I want to give a face to the people behind the numbers in the media.

On the backs of white-glazed tile shards, I noticed many different textures and colors. I found these pieces during my walks, where they are used as demolition waste to harden paths. By grinding the shards, I turned them from waste into cabochons. The white sides form a group of simple ovals, while the backs make each cabochon unique. In this way, they represent the human faces behind the numbers. When worn, these portraits hang below the pin, like refugees facing an uncertain future.

A set of three brooches and a plinth make up one object. The pedestal gives the brooches the feel of a bust. The poem I wrote for this piece has nine stanzas. I made nine brooches in total, grouping them into three sets to create three objects.

I entered this work in Eureka, a competition organized by the gallery Friends of Carlotta for their 25th anniversary. Sadly, the COVID-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of the contest and exhibition. However, they published an online catalogue. If you want to see the eureka moments of the 86 other participants, you can download the Eureka catalogue here.

I also wrote the BLOG Eureka about the creation of this series and the work process.