I.Sea.You.

1st Prize Aqua Ambra Aquila International Jewelry Competition 2024, a ring series by Astari G. Swatantri. The competition is organized by the city of Kotka, the Maritime Centre Vellamo and the Kotka Maritime festival organized a sea-themed jewelry competition in cooperation with the Finnish Goldsmiths’ Association and the Finnish Clock and Jewelry Museum. Team of jury: Terhi Pietiläinen, Museum director, Kymenlaakso museum, Mirkka Kallio, Curator, Kymenlaakso museum, Harri Syrjänen, Master goldsmith, and Ritva Kara, jewelry artist, Henrik Kihlman, executive director of the Finnish Goldsmiths’ Association, as the secretary of the jury.

Corals in the oceans are losing colors due to stress from environmental changes. Each ring in this series portrays a seabed with corals. The ring bands are handsculpted recycled silver to resemble seabed surfaces, the paper sculptures are handcrafted from recycled papers and pigmented to depict colorful corals. Unseen beneath the vibrant appearance, I intentionally use non-permanent pigments, which means continuous exposure to unfavorable conditions could eventually wash the colors away, rendering the coral bleaching phenomenon. While at first the rings visuals may catch the attention of the audience, it is the hidden message that I hope would further awaken thoughts, ignite discussions, and inspire positive actions, through the story of ‘The sea and its message in the corals’: “Listen to the message in the corals. It is more about you, than it is about me.”

More in my blog: Jewelry in Action: Raising marine environmental awareness through I.Sea.You. rings