from intrusion, and conceal them within a shield
of silver.
The designer calls this her ‘strata’ collec-
tion, building her jewellery into a series of lay-
ers from found paper and corrugated or rivet-
ed metals. Layering her segments of sentiments
in this way reflects the steady building of mem-
ories as we grow older, in what she calls a ‘per-
sonal landscape’.
Breen is noted to be interested in the sto-
ries behind the pieces she makes, and has been
employed in various private commissions. The
narrative behind the jewellery defines its worth,
and this is clearly demonstrated in one example
of jewellery she was asked to craft. A couple
who were travelling to New Zealand overland
decided to preserve their memory of it with a
ring made by the designer, asking her to include
maps of their planned journey as well as frag-
ments of love letters. These were then hidden
inside the finished piece and protected, so that
only they knew what was there.
Clara Breen’s creations blend romance and
caution, material and memory, familiarity and
unpredictability, and (some may say most
importantly) fashion and the wearer, until they
are an indivisible entity.
Since learning about the designer’s con-
cepts, engagement to each and every piece of
her work is inevitable.There is a distinct possi-
bility that you may, as I have, find yourself not
only becoming entranced by the jewellery’s
physical appearance, but also pondering if
behind each piece there lurks an intensive love
story, a horrible spiral into pain and upset, or
simply Breen’s boredom being productively
converted into quirky accessories! In any of
these cases, wearing something that is so evoca-
tive is the essence of the booming fashion
industry. A person’s attire provides a glimpse
into the wearer’s personality without exposing
them completely. It is this notion which pro-
vokes intrigue and evidently, fascinating jew-
ellery.
Current stockists:
Tate Modern Shop, London
Gill Wing Jewellery, Islington, London
Bluecoat Display Centre, Liverpool
Newcastle Arts Centre, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Museum of Contemporary Art Store, Chicago,
USA