Ute van der Plaats
contemporary jewellery design
I’m a contemporary jewelry designer born in Germany, living and working in Belgium.
Porcelain, the white gold, is the main medium in my work. I’m fascinated by the tension between the light and very fragile appearance and the actual strength and sustainability of porcelain. With every new collection I explore new materials and techniques. It’s the process of mastering the unknown by experimenting that interests me. I like to push the boundaries of jewelry making concepts by combining modern technologies with traditional craftsmanship.
Since I started to work with porcelain, I have always dreamt of using light in my jewelry. Not only to throw some light on the story I want to tell but also to emphasize the best that porcelain has to offer, a beautiful warm white color and a fascinating translucency. In my recent work, the “paradise papers collection”, I integrated led lights in the centerpiece of every jewel. A challenging journey since the lights, the battery holder and the switch had to be esthetically integrated in order to become part of the design. At the same time the changing of the batteries and the use of the switch had to be practical as well. Furthermore, the battery holder had to be suitable for rechargeable batteries since I absolutely wanted to avoid waste of batteries. The closing of each necklace is invisible, using magnets hidden in the two porcelain end pieces. I also use magnets, hidden in 3 riveted layers of acrylic glass and metal, to make the attachment of the brooches to clothes safe, invisible and to avoid wholes in garments. Except the battery holders, that are custom made 3D prints, every part of each piece of jewelry is handmade by me. The techniques used in this collection are Photoshop sampling, 3D printing, molding, slip casting, sanding, hand sawing, hand cutting and riveting.
The idea behind my latest collection is based on the so called “Paradise Papers”, a huge leak of financial documents that revealed how multinationals, wealthy individuals, politicians and celebrities use complicated offshore financial constructions to avoid paying taxes. Most of these activities are legal but there is a fundamental moral objection against these practices because ultimately this system comes at a cost to everyone else. It deprives national economies of billions in tax revenues that are critical for things like keeping hospitals running, providing social security to everyone, education programs, etc. When talking about tax havens we usually think about Caribbean islands but also in Europe there are five countries that are facilitating tax evasion through special rulings. The Netherlands, where I lived and studied for many years, is one of these European countries that are in 2019 exclaimed by the European parliament as a tax haven.
The paradise paper collection is a call for fair taxation. It throws literally once again light on the subject and aims to make the broader public aware of it in a playful way. To evoke a tropical ambiance, I create small scenes of tropical plants and animals in china porcelain. Colorful collages allude symbolically to the Dutch involvement. I create them by cutting out and assembling tiny pieces of authentic Dutch guilders banknotes, the beautiful pre-Euro currency of the Netherlands.
Education
2013 - 2017 applied graphic design,
BKO Academie Beeldende Kunsten, Overijse, Belgium
2005 - 2009 edelsmeedkunst - contemporary jewelry design,
RHoK Academie Beeldende Kunsten, Brussels, Belgium
1997 - 1998 academic teacher training
Vrije Universiteit, Brussels, Belgium
1991 - 1995, Master of arts degree in History
Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Porcelain, the white gold, is the main medium in my work. I’m fascinated by the tension between the light and very fragile appearance and the actual strength and sustainability of porcelain. With every new collection I explore new materials and techniques. It’s the process of mastering the unknown by experimenting that interests me. I like to push the boundaries of jewelry making concepts by combining modern technologies with traditional craftsmanship.
Since I started to work with porcelain, I have always dreamt of using light in my jewelry. Not only to throw some light on the story I want to tell but also to emphasize the best that porcelain has to offer, a beautiful warm white color and a fascinating translucency. In my recent work, the “paradise papers collection”, I integrated led lights in the centerpiece of every jewel. A challenging journey since the lights, the battery holder and the switch had to be esthetically integrated in order to become part of the design. At the same time the changing of the batteries and the use of the switch had to be practical as well. Furthermore, the battery holder had to be suitable for rechargeable batteries since I absolutely wanted to avoid waste of batteries. The closing of each necklace is invisible, using magnets hidden in the two porcelain end pieces. I also use magnets, hidden in 3 riveted layers of acrylic glass and metal, to make the attachment of the brooches to clothes safe, invisible and to avoid wholes in garments. Except the battery holders, that are custom made 3D prints, every part of each piece of jewelry is handmade by me. The techniques used in this collection are Photoshop sampling, 3D printing, molding, slip casting, sanding, hand sawing, hand cutting and riveting.
The idea behind my latest collection is based on the so called “Paradise Papers”, a huge leak of financial documents that revealed how multinationals, wealthy individuals, politicians and celebrities use complicated offshore financial constructions to avoid paying taxes. Most of these activities are legal but there is a fundamental moral objection against these practices because ultimately this system comes at a cost to everyone else. It deprives national economies of billions in tax revenues that are critical for things like keeping hospitals running, providing social security to everyone, education programs, etc. When talking about tax havens we usually think about Caribbean islands but also in Europe there are five countries that are facilitating tax evasion through special rulings. The Netherlands, where I lived and studied for many years, is one of these European countries that are in 2019 exclaimed by the European parliament as a tax haven.
The paradise paper collection is a call for fair taxation. It throws literally once again light on the subject and aims to make the broader public aware of it in a playful way. To evoke a tropical ambiance, I create small scenes of tropical plants and animals in china porcelain. Colorful collages allude symbolically to the Dutch involvement. I create them by cutting out and assembling tiny pieces of authentic Dutch guilders banknotes, the beautiful pre-Euro currency of the Netherlands.
Education
2013 - 2017 applied graphic design,
BKO Academie Beeldende Kunsten, Overijse, Belgium
2005 - 2009 edelsmeedkunst - contemporary jewelry design,
RHoK Academie Beeldende Kunsten, Brussels, Belgium
1997 - 1998 academic teacher training
Vrije Universiteit, Brussels, Belgium
1991 - 1995, Master of arts degree in History
Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands
