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PERPETUAL PIROUETTE

Perpetual Pirouette is a jewelry collection inspired by Descension (2014), an installation by Anish Kapoor exhibited at ARKEN Museum of Contemporary Art. The collection explores themes of perpetual motion, the passage of time, and the relationship between life and death through simple circular forms inspired by the artwork’s rotating vortex.

Perpetual Pirouette was developed as part of my second semester examination in Jewelry, Technology and Business. The assignment challenged students to analyze a Danish museum as a brand, study a selected artwork, and develop a jewelry collection intended for sale in the museum’s gift shop.

 

After visiting ARKEN and experiencing Anish Kapoor’s Descension, I became fascinated by the work’s constant movement, overwhelming presence, and symbolic connection to both life and mortality. Through brand analysis, museum shop research, target audience development, and visual analysis, I translated these themes into a commercial jewelry collection designed to function as a meaningful souvenir while remaining wearable as everyday jewelry.

Rather than creating a literal interpretation of the artwork, I chose to focus on the emotions and concepts that Descension evoked. Early concepts resembled the installation too closely and felt more like miniature sculptures than jewelry. Through iteration, the collection evolved into a series of cleaner and more understated designs inspired by the movement of the vortex, the circular air patterns on the water’s surface, and the idea of perpetual cycles. The project taught me how inspiration can be drawn from symbolism, atmosphere, and experience rather than only visual appearance. It also strengthened my ability to balance conceptual storytelling with commercial considerations such as audience fit, wearability, pricing, and museum retail positioning.

Skills learned and / or practiced during this project:​

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  • Design Research & Analysis

  • Museum Brand Analysis

  • Concept Development

  • Storytelling Through Design

  • Persona & Target Audience Development

  • CAD Modelling (Rhino 8)

  • 3D Rendering (Keyshot 12)

  • Jewelry Pricing Strategy

  • Physical Prototyping & Bench Jewelry

  • Presentation & Design Communication

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