Carol Gwizdak’s jewellery focuses on ecological issues that draw on the visual and conceptual language of the natural world and in so doing entreats us to reinstate nature in its purist form, as the most precious of all commodities.

Her work centers around the notion of ‘Precious’ in a traditional context, subverting this by replacing the expected gemstones with the natural treasures that she finds. Often willfully transient; her use of ephemeral plant matter contradicts the notion of jewellery as ‘precious and permanent’ and refers preoccupations with value back to the environment.

In more recent work there is a greater sense of urgency to reflect climate change. Collecting days and subsequent work takes on an archival approach and materials such as plastic sand, found on a local beach, find their way into her work. 

In contemporary society, where art is used as a tool for activism, her work sits quietly; seemingly highlighting the beauty of the natural world. Yet it is imbued with meaning, creating probing compositions that suggest we are not blameless in the current climate crisis. The pieces invite you to care and in so doing force you to question what is and what we perceive as precious.

In my making I often echo the forms and language of traditional jewellery. The valued gemstones are replaced with non-precious material, ‘gems’ from nature. These natural elements hint at a certain fragility the work often displayed as specimens under glass.

As a jeweller I am well acquainted with the complexities of adornment and utilise these to subvert meaning. The piece ‘Apple’ seems simple, a pretty beaded neck piece. However, its meaning is complex. Cast tiny graded apples reference both the iconic association to the banishment from the garden of Eden and our ever growing disconnect from nature through our dependency on the virtual world. When the necklace is worn it is heavier than its scale suggests; we are required to carry this weight, the weight of our actions on our Eden, Planet Earth.

Ultimately my focus is always to invite you to embark upon an intimate relationship with the pieces, to care and in so doing challenge you to question and re-prioritise what is and what we perceive as precious.