Enrike Groenewald
Visual Arts BA Hons
Stellenbosch University
Graduates: 2024
Specialisms: Contemporary Craft / Jewelry / Photography
My location: Stellenbosch, South Africa
Enrike Groenewald
First Name: Enrike
Last Name: Groenewald
University / College: Stellenbosch University
Course / Program: Visual Arts BA Hons
Graduates: 2024
Specialisms: Contemporary Craft / Jewelry / Photography
My Location: Stellenbosch, South Africa
About
As a South African contemporary jewellery artist, my work focuses on re-imagining the abjection that insects embody as both repulsive and fascinating. I am particularly intrigued by how different insects evoke varied emotional responses and how these feelings can be reflected upon and re-evaluated through the practice of making jewellery. The process of transforming various insects into bespoke pieces is central to my work. I view my jewellery objects as contemporary representations of memento mori and mourning jewellery through a posthumanist lens, which emphasises the interconnectedness between humans and the natural world. Through my work, I aim to spark conversations around the ecological conservation of insects and highlight their crucial role, even the repulsive ones, in the survival of both humans and non-humans.
Immortalising The Mortal is inspired by the contradictory embodiment of insects as both fascinating and repulsive. Insects, which are often seen as the other or non-personal identity, are often associated with filth, dirt, decay, decomposition, and death; however, they play a vital role in maintaining our natural environment. Through various “mortality rituals”, these insects are transformed through cremation, preservation, and fossilisation, transforming the mortal into the immortal. Through both recognisable and unrecognisable designs, these pieces aim to spark conversations around our emotions towards insects and further highlight their value to the ecological conservation of our natural world.
Competitions
