2 Weeks of Supplies Earrings

Lapis Lazuli 8mm Beads, Sterling

Lapis Lazuli is actually a rock, not a mineral. It contains over 25% of Lazulite and other minerals like Calcite, the white veins and Pyrite, which is what gives Lapis that beautiful golden speckled effect. Mohs: 3 to 65.

“I still feel the sensation of your fingers
The softness of your lips opening gently
To sip my warm nectar...

I wear fragments of many other lives
Gone for long now
But it is just a reminder
I am your cup of tea forever... ”

Discarded, rejected, amputated objects and porcelain. I repair, mend, stitch. I make and I talk for the forgotten.

I have been mudlarking porcelain shards on the beach for the last 2 ½ years.
I photograph and research their/our provenance and circa, what they were made of.
I feel the need to pursue their story or create a new one, I feel the responsibility to be their voice.
Keeping their original shape and colour, I polish and drill them if I have to but, my intrusion in their bodies stays minimal.

The pieces resulting are quite spontaneous and quirky but still reflect the craftsmanship of an era.
Then, I adorn with discarded beer cans bits, raw sapphire, imperfect Freshwater Pearls, recycled Sterling and other found metal bits, silk, cord.

Porcelain found are mostly blue and white from old times using cobalt pigment (Lapis Lazuli).
Mostly from tea sets, They refer to the harmonious moment of sharing and caring: Tea time.
Everything is related: the blue from precious Lapis Lazuli to the storytelling prints on porcelains.
Everything is relative: what is preciousness? Memories, past, porcelain shards, jewellery?

My work is about reducing compulsive consumption by focusing on recycling/upcycling and rethinking the notion of preciousness...

Circular sustainability.

Beatrice Carlson

Beatrice Carlson is a contemporary artist who, over the last seven years, transformed jewellery into a medium of cultural and social exploration, investigating the relationship between body, adornment and identity.

She addresses essential themes such as overcoming gender barriers, ageing and the impact of Covid-19, offering a narrative that defies conventions and invites reflection on the function of the body and the social significance of adornment.

Currently her research focuses on creative recycling and upcycling, with a particular focus on revitalizing ancient craft techniques, promoting a sustainable practice that values the heritage of traditional crafts.

Finalist 2024 Parkin Drawing Prize, WSA Small Sculpture Awards and New Zealand Small Sculpture Prize, recipient of Micro Grant Auckland Photography Festival, Carlson is represented around Aotearoa.

Internationally, she has been finalist in “The Nature of Imperfection & Jewelry Adornment” (Society of Arts and Crafts, Boston, 2024), and ”The Battle of the Rings” (Seattle, 2022).
Her etchings are part of museum and private collections, including the Douro Museum in Portugal, the Al Serkal Arts District in the UAE and the Tama University of Art in Tokyo.

Carlson has curated numerous solo exhibitions, including recently “The Object, the Photo, the Story” (Satellite2 Gallery, 2024), and “The Magpie Nest Project” (Craig Potton Gallery, 2023).

In 2025, Her work is included in ṬILISMĀN. LA BUONA SORTE, SCD Studio, Perugia – Italy; 37 adornment pieces selected through an international tender.