Miniatures

In the fall of 2020, I was studying jewellery at the Haute École de Joaillerie in Paris when France declared its second pandemic lockdown. My final day in the course was the first day of the lockdown, so I travelled across the city to the school for one final day out of the house before being reconfined for another two months.

In confinement, I was determined to maintain the fine motor skills that I had just begun to build up in my jewellery courses. Lacking the space in my apartment to set up a jewellery bench, I picked up another medium: polymer clay.

I have always loved small things, collecting them when I see them in shops and yard sales. And so, as my world shrunk around me I sculpted it in miniature. Using polymer clay, I made detailed sculptures of my favourite foods.

Miniature sculpture challenges and delights me. It pushes me see the world differently. Making miniatures teaches me to observe forms in the world and consider them structurally. They have taught me to construct illusions and convey whimsy. And they have shown me that the key to realism is imperfection.

I see a clear connection between my miniature work and my jewellery work. In a sense, jewellery is the art of architecture, sculpture, and construction in miniature.

See more of my miniature work on Instagram @cc.minis.