Lactarius Brooch/Wall Artwork by Cynosure

10 x 10" framed wall artpiece in black and white.

This 10 x 10" framed wall artwork has a welcome surprise: the mushroom silhouette lifts off from its magnetic attachment to be worn as a brooch.  The brooch is hand-sawn thin steel and measures 4 x 3.75 x .5" and is as light and strong.

My work explores the intimate relationship between jewelry, the natural world, and the objects we choose to carry as expressions of self. I see jewelry as more than an ornament placed on the body: it becomes a small, tactile extension of the person who wears it, holding traces of personality, memory, identity, and attachment. A pendant may rest against the skin like a talisman; a brooch may punctuate a coat with a flash of character. These objects gather meaning through use, becoming part of the lives and stories of the people who choose them.

These wall pieces imagine small habitats for jewelry during the moments when it is not being worn. Hand-sawn from thin steel, the botanical and animal forms carry the delicate, intricate language of papercutting into a more durable material. Their edges trace leaves, stems, and creatures with the crispness of cut paper, while the steel gives them a quiet permanence and physical presence.