UTE VAN DER PLAATS
Mixed Materials / Belgium
Porcelain is the main medium in my work. I’m fascinated by the tension between the fragile appearance and the actual strength of porcelain.
With every new collection I explore new materials and integrate them in porcelain centerpieces. I like to push the boundaries of jewelry making concepts by combining modern digital technologies with traditional craftsmanship.
This brooch is inspired by the “Paradise Papers”, a huge leak of financial documents that revealed how multinationals and wealthy individuals use so called tax havens to avoid paying taxes. The Netherlands was exclaimed in 2019 by the European parliament as one of these tax havens.
My aim is to throw literally light on the subject in order to make the broader public aware of it in a playful way. The integrated lights work with rechargeable batteries in order to avoid waste of batteries. Colorful collages allude symbolically to the Dutch involvement. I create them with tiny pieces of authentic pre Euro Dutch guilder banknotes.
Work
Paradise Papers
Brooch, 2020
Porcelain, acrylic glass, golden mirror acrylic glass, gold plated brass, pieces of original pre-Euro 5,10, 25 and 50 Dutch guilder banknotes, led lights, magnets, 2 rechargeable batteries
Experience
Education
2013 – 2017 Applied graphic design, BKO Academie Beeldende Kunsten, Overijse, Belgium
2005 – 2009 Contemporary jewelry design, RHoK Academie Beeldende Kunsten, Brussels, Belgium
1997 – 1998 Academic teacher education, Vrije Universiteit, Brussels, Belgium
1991 – 1995 Master of arts degree in History, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Exhibitions
2020
– Spotlight, Galerie Pont en Plas, Gent, Belgium
– Painful Hope, Alliages Gallery, Lille, France
– Japan jewellery competition exhibition, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
2019 (selected but canceled due to COVID)
– Beijing International Jewelry Art exhibition, Beijing China
– Alliages Legacy Award collection, Espace Solidor, France
2018
– European Prize of applied Arts exhibition, WCC BF, Mons Belgium
– Masterly The Hague, 20 – 23 September 2018, The Hague Netherlands
– BIJOUX ! Norton Museum of Art, 1 – 4 March West Palm Beach, Florida USA
2017
– LOOT: Mad About Jewelry, Museum of Arts and Design, New York, USA
Award
2017 Winner of the LOOT Acquisition Prize of the Museum of Arts and Design NYC
Text & pictures provided by the artist
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