Grad Show 2023
Grad Show 23
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In a profound spiritual dialogue, a woman intimately connects with a powerful possession charm that serves as a transformative catalyst, bringing healing and solace to women affected by domestic abuse, fostering a profound sense of inner calm and emotional tranquility.

Qianwen (Caroline) Lu

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Healing and Empowerment: Women Victims of  Intimate Partner Violence’s Mantras

As a jeweler, ally, and sympathetic witness to the traumatic stories of survivors, my work aims to support the process of reconstruction and reintegration for victims and the greater community. To move beyond isolation requires care and support. I want my jewelry to act as catalysts in the healing process by straddling both sides of the trauma-induced situation, creating greater awareness and empathy, and potentially assisting in the recovery process as a form of therapy through wearing. My work intends to create an opportunity to help people overcome their innate tendency to turn away from the painful realities of the world and develop the sensitivity to pay attention to victims' testimonies if we are to comprehend trauma. 1"

In a profound spiritual dialogue, a woman intimately connects with a powerful possession charm that serves as a transformative catalyst, bringing healing and solace to women affected by domestic abuse, fostering a profound sense of inner calm and emotional tranquility.

Healing and Empowerment: Women Victims of  Intimate Partner Violence’s Mantras #4

Copper, brass, acrylic paint, temperature sensitive paint
5.5" x 24" x 2"
2023

My work serves to act as a protective and seductive trap, deflecting negativity and disarming the harmful gaze of others. & "Jewelry conveys an image of you that is not just your biological self. Jewelry is tightly bound with symbolism, and its use implies a developed sense of identity1"

In a profound spiritual dialogue, a woman intimately connects with a powerful possession charm that serves as a transformative catalyst, bringing healing and solace to women affected by domestic abuse, fostering a profound sense of inner calm and emotional tranquility.

Healing and Empowerment: Women Victims of  Intimate Partner Violence’s Mantras #1


copper, resin, temperature sensitive paint. lapis lazuli
4.5" x 21" x 2"
2023

    The triple Moon symbol is commonly used amongst women to symbolize empowerment, representing the three stages of a woman's life. The waxing moon represents the Maiden, representing youth and new life. The full moon represents the Mother, representing fulfillment,giving, caring, protection, and power. Finally, the waning moon represents the Crone and stands for wisdom, experience, knowledge, understanding, and completion. In its entirety, the symbol is signifying the eternal cycle of birth, life, and rebirth2
    Ultimately, through these hidden energies, I aim to create work that brings reintegration to female IPV victims and helps them feel empowered to regain control over their lives, allowing them to reintegrate and thrive. They need to listen to the "unspoken voice" of the body and allow it to do what it needs to do, such as not stopping the shaking and "tracking" the inner sensations.

In a profound spiritual dialogue, a woman intimately connects with a powerful possession charm that serves as a transformative catalyst, bringing healing and solace to women affected by domestic abuse, fostering a profound sense of inner calm and emotional tranquility.

Healing and Empowerment: Women Victims of  Intimate Partner Violence’s Mantras #2

Copper, resin, temperature sensitive paint, bead bone
5" x 23" x 0.25"2023

A Mandala, which comes from the Sanskrit word meaning "circle", is an artistic representation of more profound meaning and higher thought that takes the form of a geometric symbol. It is used in spiritual, emotional, or psychological practices to focus one's s attention and encourage introspection 3. The specific details of a mandala's meaning can vary depending on the individual who creates or observes it. Typically, a mandala symbolizes a spiritual journey, leading from the outer layers to the inner core, promoting self-awareness and ultimately resulting in peace of mind.


 1Suzanne Ramljak, On Body and soul: contemporary armor to amulets, 15
 2Cassie Uhl, THE MEANINGS & ORIGINS OF THE TRIPLE GODDESS SYMBOL

 

In a profound spiritual dialogue, a woman intimately connects with a powerful possession charm that serves as a transformative catalyst, bringing healing and solace to women affected by domestic abuse, fostering a profound sense of inner calm and emotional tranquility.

Healing and Empowerment: Women Victims of  Intimate Partner Violence’s Mantras #5

Copper, brass, acrylic paint, temperature sensitive paint
5.5" x 23" x 2.5"
2023

Harmonious touching begins with the victim's hope, remaining true to themselves, the wearer is honest with themselves, and the process fuels them. Touching these pendants is essential, as I hope it can comfort women victims who may be triggered by traumatic memories. Through gentle touch and mindful breathing, I intend to help soothe their emotions and promote a sense of calmness.

In a profound spiritual dialogue, a woman intimately connects with a powerful possession charm that serves as a transformative catalyst, bringing healing and solace to women affected by domestic abuse, fostering a profound sense of inner calm and emotional tranquility.

Healing and Empowerment: Women Victims of  Intimate Partner Violence’s Mantras #4

Copper, brass, acrylic paint, temperature sensitive paint
5.5" x 24" x 2"
2023

My work is activated through warm and continuous touching. The six pendants utilize temperature-sensitive colors on a portion of the surface and the beads. These materials have the unique ability to change color when exposed to warmth. When the wearer touches the pendants, the warmth from their palm and the skin triggers the color transformation. The heat is absorbed by the temperature-sensitive colors, causing them to shift gradually from dark to light and even change from one hue to another This transformation occurs slowly, allowing the wearer to observe and capture every subtle change that takes place on the pendant's surface. As a maker, my intention is to create an engaging, mediating, and transformative experience for the wearer.

 

 3Joshua J. Mark, Mandala
 

In a profound spiritual dialogue, a woman intimately connects with a powerful possession charm that serves as a transformative catalyst, bringing healing and solace to women affected by domestic abuse, fostering a profound sense of inner calm and emotional tranquility.

Healing and Empowerment: Women Victims of  Intimate Partner Violence’s Mantras #3

Copper, brass, acrylic paint, temperature sensitive paint
6" x 24" x 1.5"
2023

By focusing their attention on the evolving colors, the wearer becomes immersed in the process of transformation. They can feel the warmth left by their fingertips as it interacts with the pendant's surface, forming a tactile and intimate connection. Throughout this mesmerizing process, the wearer is encouraged to engage in a peaceful dialogue with their own mind. The observation of the color shifts and the mindful touch become a practice of mindfulness and self-reflection, promoting a sense of inner calmness and emotional soothing.

In a profound spiritual dialogue, a woman intimately connects with a powerful possession charm that serves as a transformative catalyst, bringing healing and solace to women affected by domestic abuse, fostering a profound sense of inner calm and emotional tranquility.

Healing and Empowerment: Women Victims of  Intimate Partner Violence’s Mantras #1

Copper, resin, temperature sensitive paint, lapis lazuli
4.5" x 21" x 2"
2023

The main inspiration for my work comes from the format of prayer wheels from the Tibetan region of China. The shape of the prayer wheel is often a cylindrical spinning wheel on a spindle made of metal, wood, stone, leather, or coarse cotton. Traditionally, mantras are written in Ranjana script or Tibetan on the outer surface of the spinning wheel. The Tibetan Buddhist tradition holds that spinning the prayer wheel has an equivalent positive effect as reciting the prayer aloud, as per the texts that have been passed down4.

In a profound spiritual dialogue, a woman intimately connects with a powerful possession charm that serves as a transformative catalyst, bringing healing and solace to women affected by domestic abuse, fostering a profound sense of inner calm and emotional tranquility.

Healing and Empowerment: Women Victims of  Intimate Partner Violence’s Mantras #6

Copper, resin, temperature sensitive paint, bead bone
5" x 23" x 0.25"
2023

How to instantly feel better as women victims of domestic violence? I groped for answers in the way Kathy Luethje mentions in “Healing with Art and Soul: Engaging One's Self through Art Modalities”:  “Absorption in the creative process is what heals us. The approach to the numinous is the real therapy, and in as much as you attain to numinous experiences you are released from the curse of pathology." My work is not about healing; it is a healer. Everyone has the ability to heal themselves, and my work provides a glance of the opportunity. Referring to Kathy Luethje's notes:

Art as healing is not a new idea. Since ancient times, the arts have been used to alleviate
human suffering and to restore a sense of harmony, wholeness, or unity. The World Health
Organization still defines "disease" in unscientific, almost poetic terms, as  "a rupture in life's harmony"5

4 Imart Nepal, Buddhist Prayer Wheels: Meaning and Uses 

In a profound spiritual dialogue, a woman intimately connects with a powerful possession charm that serves as a transformative catalyst, bringing healing and solace to women affected by domestic abuse, fostering a profound sense of inner calm and emotional tranquility.

Healing and Empowerment: Women Victims of  Intimate Partner Violence’s Mantras #2

Copper, resin, temperature sensitive paint, bead bone
5" x 23" x 0.25"
2023

Jewelry is presented in many cultures and traditions for its healing power in helping people overcome mental and emotional difficulties. Amulets are a form of jewelry widely used to protect people from evil or harm. Amulets often incorporate specific symbols and materials that possess mystical or spiritual powers within a particular culture or tradition. These symbols and materials are selected based on a shared system of beliefs and values that are deeply embedded and encoded within the culture.

In a profound spiritual dialogue, a woman intimately connects with a powerful possession charm that serves as a transformative catalyst, bringing healing and solace to women affected by domestic abuse, fostering a profound sense of inner calm and emotional tranquility.

Healing and Empowerment: Women Victims of  Intimate Partner Violence’s Mantras #5

Copper, brass, acrylic paint, temperature sensitive paint
5.5" x 23" x 2.5"
2023

    Wearing my work is an empowering form of support for women who have suffered from intimate partner violence and trauma. It acts as a protective shield, transferring negative elements away, deflecting harmful gazes, and redirecting sensitivity to the societal structures perpetuating these issues. My work reword the wearer through its intimate engagement with the body, and this process protects victims. By acknowledging past feelings of oppression, anger, and overwhelm, victims can regain ownership over their bodies and improve their tolerance to emotionally process hidden triggers such as images, sounds, scenes, and physical sensations. I want my work to provide an opportunity for victims to expand their "window of tolerance," allowing them to maintain the balance to hold a mental state and feel in greater control subconsciously.

 5Healing with Art and Soul: Engaging One's Self through Art Modalities, Kathy Luethje, 2

Architecture

Ceramics

Design Engineering

Digital + Media

Furniture Design

Glass

Global Arts and Cultures

Graphic Design

Industrial Design

Interior Architecture

Jewelry + Metalsmithing

Landscape Architecture

Nature-Culture-Sustainability Studies

Painting

Photography

Printmaking

Sculpture

TLAD

Textiles

 

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