Kelvin J Birk: From the hegemony of value to the freedom of form

His creations are in fact the result of a series of actions to break and pulverise precious stones, which are thus deprived of their first and original form and structure in order to create something new; in some ways the same, but also different.

The stones are then mixed together, in some cases with non-precious materials, thus playing with the altered perceptions that such a mixture can create.

In this way Kelvin questions what might be the relationship between the objective value (if any) of a material and the creative process that leads to the creation of an object. Does this process of destruction, breakage and rearrangement add or subtract value?

Kelvin uses chance and chaos as creative agents, the key to his work lies in that delicate balance between the rational control of the materials and letting them form - acting, so to speak, freely.

Is freedom of form an aesthetic category of value? Well, in his case one has to say yes.

The beauty of his creations derives from the unconventional use of pre-constituted and standardized stones, but not from this alone. The body itself of his jewels, whether in gold or silver, it is completely deconstructed.

De-structuring, like destruction, is part of his working process and leads to the most joyful of outcomes: long arms that intertwine and move, layers of gold and filaments that develop freely in new and organically unpredictable forms.

His great aesthetic sensibility allows him to achieve perfectly balanced results between wearability, elegance and the extremes of artistic inspiration.

After Graduating in Goldsmithing and jewellery making at the Berufsfachschule fuer Glas und Schmuck, Germany, Kelvin J. Birk took his MA in Silversmithing and Jewellery (awarded with distinction) from the Sir John Cass Faculty of Art in London, UK (1997).

Kelvin J. Birk produces jewellery as well as larger objects, mainly in silver and gold with all types of gemstones.

His work has been featured in numerous publications including Wallpaper, Tatler, Vogue, Elle Decoration, the Independent, Evening Standard, Harpers and Queen and was chosen as the poster image to represent London Guildhall University in a High-profile London Underground advertising campaign. It can also be seen in a range of jewellery and design books.

Kelvin J. Birk exhibited at numerous fairs and exhibitions in Great Britain, many European countries, the USA and Taiwan. His work won him several prizes and awards and he received several grants from different funding bodies.

Image Credits

'Precious fluke II' ring 18ct gold with facetted gemstones
'Grand claw ring' - silver aquamarine, crushed lapis lazuli and agate
'Big claw cluster ring II' 18ct gold with crushed gemstones
'Four claw ring' 18ct gold with crushed fireopal, ruby, garnet, amethyst
'Meadow' brooch silver, crushed quartz, facetted sapphires and garnets
'Big claw ring' oxdized silver, crushed stone container, coloured diamonds
'Tulip crush Brooch' silver, crushed quartz and facetted coloured diamonds
'Big claw ring' silver, crushed gemstones
'Grand claw ring' silver, crushed quartz, agate, citrine and facetted rhodolite
Enameled freeform Brooch, silver, enamel
'Grand claw ring' silver crushed hematite and onyx with facetted citrine
'In memory' - upcycled engagement ring, crushed onyx
Round ring in square – silver and crushed ruby
Freeform half-curve ring – silver and red enamel

All images are taken by Kelvin J. Birk

About the Contributing Writer

Ilaria Ruggiero is a cultural manager and curator working in the field of contemporary art. She is the founder of Adornment - Curating Contemporary Art Jewelry, a curatorial integrated project dedicated to contemporary art jewelry. It aims to develop the knowledge and consciousness of contemporary jewelry as artistic discipline and as ground search for technique, aesthetics, and philosophy.

www.adornment-jewelry.com