About C Breeze Jewellery

Born and bred in Hokitika on the West Coast of the South
Island of New Zealand, I was introduced to stone carving in
a small studio. I learned about patience, and the underlying
meaning of the different varieties of pounamu/jade, with all
of its cultural significance. I learned to use carving
tools, thought of carving as another form of drawing, and
fell in love with these natural materials and their
ever-changing colours unique to their origins.

In 2007 I graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Otago
Polytechnic School of Art in Dunedin, where I spent the
first three years of my degree studying jewellery and
textiles, and the blend continues to exert a strong
influence on my work. In my final year I majored in
jewellery and metal-smithing, and chose to explore the
hunting subculture. I love the idea of making and designing
jewellery for people not typically associated with the body
adornment/fashion scene and one of my first exhibitions was
in an outdoor sports store in Dunedin. It was a really fun
way to explore my creative side and get feedback from people
who inspired the collection. I combined materials that reminded me of
their pastimes; bullet shells and antlers along with stone
from the areas in which they hunt. Although bullet shells
can be perceived as aggressive, I chose to ground them in
this subculture, as the environment in which I live is a
hunting culture and it is a way of life for many...and the
idea of recycling appeals!

The relationship of hunting to high fashion is a fascinating
concept, and it gives added depth to my pieces - a
counterpoint of ruggedness and urbanity, the polar
opposites!

My jewellery is not out of place in the bush, or in high
society sipping cocktails in Milan or Paris or New York. I
create portable objects that express the wearer's identity
with freedom of speech.

Each piece is hand-crafted and unique. They create
conversation, and each one enables the wearer and watcher
alike to interpret their own meaning.