JOSLIN YONATHAN
Joslin Yonathan
What is a heart of a bird compared to the heart of a man?
2024, copper, nail polish, 450 x 110 mm
Photography by Chris Bowes.
ARTIST STATEMENT
JOSLIN YONATHAN
The piece was inspired by one of the most well-known Oscar Wilde’s narratives, ‘The Nightingale and the Rose’, specifically the Nightingale’s selfless sacrifice to create the red rose. In this piece, I wanted to specify the important elements of sacrifice, love, and purity by transforming the narrative into one wearable piece. The accessibility/price of copper and nail polish allows me to achieve a distinctive appearance of the necklace, since there was no budget limitation.
Small hints of burgundy red, are incorporated into the necklace to symbolise the Nightingale’s blood. In Wilde’s story, the Nightingale sacrifices herself by pressing her breast against the thorn of the white rose tree, allowing her blood to transform the white rose into a full red colour. On the other hand, the red and black stripey details in the piece are metaphors for how affection can be blinding and harmful.
I applied alphabet stamps onto the main pendant to write a quote from the narrative: “What is a heart of a bird, compared to a heart of a man?”. The text acts as a reminder of the willingness, unconditional love, and emotional significance of the Nightingale’s sacrifice.
PROFILE
Joslin Yonathan is a motivated and detail oriented contemporary art designer and student specialised in jewellery and fine lines. Her works are focused on fictional characters based on mythologies or even her daily encounter with different people. Her work is often associated with pattern rich and subtle lines.
