What is your greatest fear?
When Shawn first approached me for a bespoke piece, he told me that he wanted something that I have never made before, and to try what I wanted to do the most. The use of interactive elements was something I always loved to work with, but rarely have the opportunity to. Hence, this piece was centred around the mechanics of the piece, with the prompt for the design brief being "what is your greatest fear?"
Shawn's reply to that question was "the fear of visibility". He referenced himself as the weeping angels from Dr. Who. The Weeping Angels' unique, statue-like appearance is a result of being quantum-locked, which means they can only move when no one’s looking at them.
"...I think I fear how being visible/perceived traps me, and becomes a form of embalming. So I have lots of hang-up about being visible..."
The conceptual design is focused on translating the concept of quantum-locking and the weeping angels into a movable ring. It explores perception as both trap and trigger, where observation collapses possibility into a single truth.
Designed with elements of transparency, layers, and shifting configurations, the piece mirrors quantum superposition - every potential self suspended until fixed by the gaze. With wearable variations of the ring, subtle locking mechanisms, and extensions that gesture toward entanglement and quantum tunnelling, the ring becomes a paradox: visible yet unknowable, always becoming and shifting.
We delved deep into various concepts which informed the design choices:
Entanglement Network: When two or more particles become linked in such a way that their states are instantly connected
I loved the literal visual entanglement of the mind as fears are often psychological
The elements of entanglement can be seen in the front part of the ring
Quantum Superposition: Refers to a particle existing in all possible states at once - until it is observed or measured
- Connects to the idea of the fear of being perceived. Before someone perceives, you can exist in an undefined from. The moment you’re seen, you are “collapsed” into one fixed version of yourself in their mind.
- Linked this to the idea of transparency and the idea of possibilities - where certain areas OR forms of the ring are hidden and only can be “seen” in that one form, even though there are multiple variations it can exist.
Just like the way we can reveal only certain parts of ourselves to others, the wing feature of the ring rotates to reveal and hide the gems inside
Quantum Tunneling: In quantum physics, particles can tunnel through barriers they shouldn’t be able to pass due to their wave-like nature
- On the theme of extension and (surprising) variations, the idea that something might escape a fixed perception or limitation. Even when someone tries to box you in, parts of you “tunnel” beyond that gaze or judgment, existing in ways others don’t expect or can’t explain.
The ring extends out and can be worn in multiple ways
Lastly, the engraved design on the side of the ring is a small part taken from the ‘Angel of Grief’ monument, which is what inspired the weeping angel:
Side view of the ring
With that, the ring has left to be with the hands who requested this truly one-of-a-kind ring. Thanks Shawn for this amazing opportunity to create something this cool! One of the most fulfilling works I've made.
Love, Jaymee