97,000
Approximately 85,000 women and 12,000 men are raped in England and Wales alone every year; that’s roughly 11 rapes (of adults alone) every hour. These figures include assaults by penetration and attempts. I have created this collection to raise awareness of sexual assault, according to Rape Crisis data there is approximately 97,000 incidents of rape a year in England and Wales.This approximates to 11 assaults an hour, and I have used these numbers to inform my work. The large installation reflects the number of incidents in any given week it is this which creates the visual impact of the work so the brooches are designed to be simple and bold. The choice to use eye-catching colours is so to grab attention and start a conversation about the high levels of rape. By wearing these brooches people are encouraged to have a more open dialogue about this difficult topic, and increase awareness of such a troubling issue. I will be donating 50% of all prof its to Rape Crisis England and Wales.
As a contemporary jewellery maker, I have always been inspired by fashion and trends, and this has encouraged my experimental approach with style and materials. I enjoy working with silver and the handcrafted finish I achieve with my products, and I’ve expanded my skill set further with laser cut acrylic, as it has proved its versatility in designs and can keep apace with the innovation in jewellery trends.