Description

Helga Mogensen’s Long Driftwood Necklace is a unique and precious ornament to be worn. It is indeed a statement but made largely from driftwood and thread: the most humble of materials. To describe it merely as a necklace is to underestimate its potential as a sculptural adornment for the body. Helga loves the freedom to be creative with minimal resources. Yet she applies the maximum skill in composing materials into objects to wear.

The different scales of work, varying from earrings to brooches, to large scale neck-pieces bring different challenges. Some of Helga’s larger works such as this Heart necklace, are also perfect as wall pieces. She designs them carefully, first sorting, assembling and arranging the driftwood. Then she makes plans and drawings in her sketchbooks. Currently, she is using driftwood in combination with thread and sterling silver. Over her career she has experimented with a variety of materials such as silver, steel, copper, brass, driftwood and fish skin. Mogensen considers the thread, which creates a link between the driftwood pieces, to represent a human connection.

About the artist

Born and raised in Reykjavík, Iceland, Helga Mogensen studied at technical college in Iceland. She then went on to graduate in 2007 with a first class honours in jewellery and silversmithing from Edinburgh College of Art. There she happens to have been taught by Judy McCaig, also represented by us in GroundJewels. Now living back in Reykjavik, she has returned to her roots to make work all about her local environment and culture. Her main focus in her art work is using her personal experience in life.

Shop the rest of Helga Mogensen’s collection here.