ABOUT THE PROJECT

DECAYING BLOOM — TEAK FLOWER draws inspiration from the form of a teak flower as it begins to wither and decay. Rather than seeing decay simply as an ending, the work looks at the unexpected forms and beauty that emerge through transformation.

The project works with black spinel remnants from gemstone production in Phrae, Thailand. Their small, irregular forms make conventional gemstone cutting difficult. Instead of forcing the material into standardized shapes, the cutting process follows the individual character of each fragment, using irregular faceting without a fixed orientation to retain more of the original material and reduce unnecessary loss.

Developed in collaboration with local gemstone cutters in Phrae, the process brings material experimentation together with local craft knowledge. The irregular stones are transformed into art jewelry inspired by the changing forms of the teak flower — allowing what might otherwise be overlooked or discarded to take on a new presence and value.

Local Craft Collaboration
Gemstone cutting developed with local gemstone cutters in Phrae, Thailand.