SARA ENGBERG

So Little Time Burning Heart Sequin Piece

The Uppsala Domkyrka, located in Uppsala, Sweden, is the largest church structure in the country and Uppsala is the fourth largest city.

Additionally, the neighboring 13^th century Uppsala University is the oldest of its kind “in all of the Nordic countries.”

Sweden is also home to featured jewelry designer Sara Engberg.

Contemporary art jewelry is an unusual visual journey for its maker and for an observer.  This niche tells a story in a way that conventional jewelry does not.  That story can be poignant, humorous, or somewhere in between.

Engberg’s colorful aesthetic of sequins, hand-cut acrylic, and map parts falls evenly in the latter category.

On one hand, namely the items from her Sequins collection, she explores whimsical combinations like a skull with antlers or a sequined covered bottle with a feather sprouting from the top.

On the other hand, her Mourning collection features a crown, called Armor, made of unopened anti-depressant packets.  This item is affecting in its provocative symbolism.  What makes contemporary art jewelry so interesting is an observer can make his or her own interpretations about these strange, unexpected visuals.

The collection that seems closest to Engberg’s heart, however, is Cartographic.  This collection consists mainly of necklaces named A Sense of Direction the cloth cords of which are made from maps.  Inspired by many sources, Engberg’s fixation with maps is perhaps the strongest.  It all began in her childhood when a wondrous dream captured her imagination.

I DID IT ALL FOR YOU Medal

“I always had vivid, colorful dreams as a child.  One night I dreamt that I opened the window and the sky was covered with maps—as if I were inside a terrestrial globe, lit up from the outside.  This overwhelming sensation of beauty has followed me ever since.”

Although she received a Masters of Fine Arts in Metalwork from Stockholm’s University College for Arts, Crafts and Design Engberg loves implementing different materials. 

She has acquired a variety of components that include plexiglass and stationery from New York; Tokyo, Japan; Sweden; and Saigon, Vietnam.  After collaborating with fashion designer Christina Wemming for a time with their clothing and accessory brand, Mori and Mimosa, Engberg preferred the pacing of jewelry making.

“I get to spend more time with my creative process making jewelry.  Fashion is fun but it is a bit too fast-paced.  I like working with a particular theme for extended periods and that does not fit with whatever is trendy in the moment.”

Interestingly, while Engberg does go for thought provoking concepts in her collections she has “always been in this field for the beauty of it.  I think my pieces can be enjoyed and worn because they look nice. 

A Sense of Direction Necklace with Hand Cut
and Hand Engraved Acrylic and Silk Cord

But I can understand how someone could observe my pieces and perceive them as art works and not jewelry because they are unconventional.

I prefer not to draw a line between art and jewelry because to me everything creative is part of the same field.”
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Note: Some Photos Redirect to Alternative Items At ShopStyle Collective