The Odyssey of Our Time
Melissa Tu
The merging of historical inquiry and contemporary elements, traditional handcrafts and technology all contribute to Tu’s ongoing interrogation of life and nature in her work. Tu’s recent works reflect on the current world and emphasize concerns for humanity though satire. Instead of participating in the continued destruction of nature, Tu encourages people to re-evaluate and re-direct their behavior towards sustainable living.
Artist Statement
Artist Statement-Melissa Tu
The Odyssey of Our Time is my senior thesis collection that concentrates on human connection with the environment. The works are in reference to the past, such as the Genesis, ancient stone carvings, and objects such as chatelaines, in juxtaposition to the contemporary state of humanity. I replace traditional landscape paintings with jarring imagery of skyscrapers or fuel stations to tell a story of daily necessities that echo the focus of the 21st Century. To contrast the past and present further, these pieces are fabricated with both modern production methods, such as 3D modeling, and traditional handicrafts, particularly champlevé enameling. The material methods chosen reemphasize
both the progression of technology and its impact to the value of human labor.
Jewelry is the tool I use to speak about culture and my personal values; to bond people through a level of spiritual resonance and mutual understanding and to investigate our connection with the environment. I want the collection to speak for itself, to be read, felt, and worn as a process of recovering history, reshuffling memories, and redefining the future. The Odyssey of Our Time opens a new way to progress from this historical period of chaos.
The Odyssey of Our Time is my senior thesis collection that concentrates on human connection with the environment. The works are in reference to the past, such as the Genesis, ancient stone carvings, and objects such as chatelaines, in juxtaposition to the contemporary state of humanity. I replace traditional landscape paintings with jarring imagery of skyscrapers or fuel stations to tell a story of daily necessities that echo the focus of the 21st Century. To contrast the past and present further, these pieces are fabricated with both modern production methods, such as 3D modeling, and traditional handicrafts, particularly champlevé enameling. The material methods chosen reemphasize
both the progression of technology and its impact to the value of human labor.
Jewelry is the tool I use to speak about culture and my personal values; to bond people through a level of spiritual resonance and mutual understanding and to investigate our connection with the environment. I want the collection to speak for itself, to be read, felt, and worn as a process of recovering history, reshuffling memories, and redefining the future. The Odyssey of Our Time opens a new way to progress from this historical period of chaos.