Jacomijn van der Donk’s relationship with nature exists as an on-going love affair, where creativity is inspired and nurtured intuitively. In this very intimate play with the materials, the piece, its form and its content arise as one”. I follow the road my intuition chooses and hardly conceptualize. “It’s like having a conversation with life itself. And in this instance, it is certainly a case of ‘less is more’. Organic works such as Pebble Rings and Twig Necklaces clearly bear her signature, but now the natural beauty of the material provides the focus. Many of Jacomijn van der Donk’s early jewellery works are highly ornate, and her intuitive use of materials and making methods brings an ethnic quality to the work.īut more recently, the aesthetic of her jewellery has become increasingly minimal. Who could imagine wearing one these rings without touching or turning them round on the finger? By combining finely-made silver chain with goat-hair, these fluid creations cry out to be worn and touched. Jewellery pieces such as her goat-hair bracelets, necklaces and rings are carefully composed and beautifully crafted. With pale wood handles and brush heads delicately tinted with traces of paint, the past life of these recycled brushes is beautifully laid bare.īut Jacomijn van der Donk’s skill as a jewellery designer and maker also comes to the fore through her brush-related works. Since then, it has become a recurring theme in many forms from simple double-ended compositions, to multi paint-stained brushes. The brush theme in Jacomijn van der Donk‘s work was initially inspired by an old Japanese drawing of women brushing her hair. In her hands, a tired paintbrush or humble twig can be elevated to a work of art. Van der Donk certainly has an eye for spotting the beauty in raw materials, and uses intuition and subtlety to gently frame it.

By articulating these objects, her jewellery literally comes alive when it is worn.īoth surreal and sensuous, the necklace we feature this month shows how easily Jacomijn van der Donk’s work can flow between art and jewellery design. As the last of the autumn leaves have fallen to reveal the bare branches beneath, it seems the perfect time to explore the work of jewellery designer Jacomijn van der Donk.Īmsterdam-based Van der Donk is best known for breathing life into unexpected materials such as twigs, piano keys and paint brushes.

Paintbrush necklace