USA, San Diego, San Diego State University (SDSU), 2017

PANACEA PLACEBO

An amulet is an object that is meant to be in direct contact with the skin or close to the body. It can be a lucky charm or used for protection against something unseen that may generate physical or mental harm. They achieve use as protection through belief – believing in these amulets had a placebo-effect.

The objective of my work is to create amulets that protect the wearer from mental stress and illness by creating jewellery that can become a way to cope with the unknown, giving the wearer confidence and soothing their anxieties. The historic forms referenced in this project: the ankh, blue eye bead, heart, and mano cornuto or horned hand, are present in contemporary culture but are often disconnected from their origins. By associating my created Corium amulets with the historic amulet forms in Ankh, Eye Bead, Heart, and Horned Hand, the viewer is cued to read my invented form as a new amulet.