The Hives Series

In this series, Byrne, tends to work with various materials, sometimes using conventional jewellery materials, while other at times she may use unconventional materials such as food and actual flora. Whichever the case may be, she places a lot of consideration when selecting the various materials she works with in relation to her overall design piece.

Figure: 1 Byrne EC. (2014:18). Hives: Lip Swell, 2012

 The Hives picture is part of a series she had created in 2012, while trying to investigate how to convey a narrative concerning the human body; in this instance the way it would respond to external stimulus such as allergies. She has managed to form a visual depiction of a body’s response towards and allergic reaction. She has been able to suggest her allergic narrative through the use of her material choice which is a hexagonal mesh, which she had adjusted in order to silhouette the facial features of the modle (Bryne, (2014:18).

This series of narrative jewellery is very personal to her as she has been able to draw from her personal allergy to bees and thus use that to help create what would express the feelings of captivity she feels when faced with this situation. She has been very tactful with this piece even with the body placement selection so as to express the body’s reaction while also trying to give the viewer the idea that it could be regarded as neckpiece.