Julia Pawińska

A Good Day to Befriend an Insect

Getting familiar with an insect, arachnid, or any bug in general can be scary…yet may be rewarding. A lot of people fear bugs due to their looks, but those little creatures are way more interesting, beautiful, and complex. For example, did you know that dragonflies have been on earth for 300 million years? Or that a planthopper is the only known animal with gear-operated limbs? Maybe it's time we start to appreciate insects more.

For me, a good day splits into two options: good, productive workday with a nice, earned rest at the end or just a fully resting, free, slow, sometimes adventurous time. It would usually involve being outside, maybe picking some fresh fruit from a tree, swimming in the river or exploring the forest, observing the animals around. But it could also be in an interesting museum or even a rainy day filled with hot tea and a newly begun art project at home. I think the combination of these two is a good day for me, but being outside with nature has a magic power of creating a good day.

CHMARA is a collection of jewellery inspired by insects. Chmara is a polish word for a swarm of insects. In this project, pictures of insects are deconstructed into individual pieces, focusing on their interesting elements and implementation of those in a wearable. There is a tendency towards fear of bugs - CHMARA brings a different approach and ignites a spark of curiosity for those little beings. For the collection, the technique of lenticular lens is used to make pictures of insects move; to make it seem more alive, dynamic and convey a feeling of wearing an actual mini creature on your body.