The Castle of my Childhood

The castle called ‘The witch’s eye’ is a ruin located in the Thann valley in Alsace In Eastern France (Engelbourg Castle). Its keep, having fallen on its side, faces the valley; therefore, the hollow inner part of the tower offers a veritable viewpoint. This eye can be seen from a distance in the valley, you can climb on it or sit inside it. Working in the forge reminded me of this castle, of its huge arrow slits, and of myself daydreaming inside the keep when I was a little girl.

I have studied the various changes that metal undergoes when it is forged. After a number of tests I found out that if I bore a hole through the materials before forging a ring, the edges of this hole would progressively become distorted so as to become a sort of focal point, an opening very much like the loopholes of fortified castles. I therefore used thicker metal pieces to increase this sense of perspective. In terms of jewelry, the creation of holes is called « mise en pierre » or « mise en lumière ». Here what the wearer is led to see is his own body, a focus on his skin, the gem of these shaped rings.

One-of-a-kind pieces (selection), cold forged silver, 2×2 cm, 2008 – 2017