MJSA Design Challenge 2023 – Claudia Gutsch

After reading Tracy’s story it was clear to me that it contained two distinct parts: her past dreams and her future new adventures. As I contemplated what type of jewelry to create for her, I had the spontaneous idea to create something that would showcase those two parts of her life story.

Initially, I wasn’t thinking about creating earrings. In thinking about a design, a single piece couldn’t possibly describe both parts of her story at once. It seemed only natural at that point to create a mismatched pair of earrings with each representing one part of her life. I don’t usually design traditional jewelry, but I’m delighted by unexpected combinations. I like the idea of things that complement each other but aren’t identical or even symmetric. By creating a pair of non-matching earrings, I could portray both parts of Tracy’s story simultaneously. One earring illustrates her past dreams, while the other represents the future life she is creating for herself.