Kerry Howley is a contemporary jeweller and jewellery artist recently graduated with a First Class BA Hons Jewellery and Accessories degree from Middlesex University. She is fascinated by the power materials have to influence our emotional response to jewellery, with a particular interest in how these emotions can be conflicting.
Attraction/Aversion is Kerry’s award winning graduate collection, winning the Museum of Domestic Architecture’s Arthur Silver Award for graduate innovation and excellence.
Attraction/Aversion is a material exploration of how people can feel seemingly opposing emotional responses simultaneously.
The necklaces are made of human hair, a familiar material that we take pride in. However once off of the body hair becomes an innate source of aversion. Kerry wanted to see if she could make discarded hair attractive again.
Through the familiar form of a necklace, and using patterns and symmetry that are instinctively pleasing, Kerry has created a delicate balance between the viewer/wearer’s feelings of aversion and attraction.
