MIRANDA QUIRK
Miranda Quirk
Roly-poly, slater, butcher boy, (woodlouse)
2026, copper, brass, cubic zirconia, acrylic paint, 80 x 35 x 10 mm
Photography by Chris Bowes.
ARTIST STATEMENT
MIRANDA QUIRK
I believe the limitation of accessing silver and gold was a key factor in my work’s progression. Without the rising cost, I would’ve likely continued to centre more traditional jewellery representations, making ‘wearable’ jewellery made from precious metals. Instead, I feel I now have a tremendous respect for my non-precious materials and the properties they hold. I don’t use silver because I don’t need to in order to make beautiful and intricate insect representations.
My works now experiment with the different properties of non-precious metals, such as the lightness of steel or the mechanical applications of brass. I believe this experimentation is key in my creation of affective insect forms, which supports my endeavour of encouraging intimacy
with insects.
PROFILE
Miranda Quirk is a jeweller and metalsmith based in Naarm (Melbourne, Victoria). Her practice centres insect representations in jewellery, highlighting insects and the perceptions surrounding them in the wake of the Anthropocene and insect decline. She aims to promote intimacy towards insects through the proximity her jewellery provides to insect forms. She holds hope that these experiences of exposure may shift perceptions towards insects, and imbues tactile and kinetic features into her works to promote this. Her artworks are highly intricate and articulated, incorporating movement and sensory play, which also reflects on her neurodiversity.
