Interview for Amy Kanka Valadarsky

Poultice Narrative Jewellery

These fragments have I shored against my ruins'

T.S.Eliot

From her Vancouver studio, Sarah Joyce creates wearable art from found, scavenged and antique materials. 'For me, the scars and damage you find on old objects is haunting...poignant. Take the time to listen...you will hear stories.'

Where does value lie? Sarah believes our most valuable objects have emotional links...take on personal meaning...tell a unique story. 'One of my most valuable objects is an old white mug printed with a scrolling 'S'. The initial is faded now...it's not a particularly well-designed mug...it's chipped and scratched....but it was given to me by someone very special, at a difficult time. For me it tells a story of love, resilience and survival on so many levels. Every time I use it, I retell its story in new ways. It has become a treasure.'

'My pieces really are the antithesis of mass-produced. I focus on simple techniques, hand-made qualities and universal stories. They develop in a unique way, over time. I am always trying to create pieces of wearable art filled with emotion and humanity.'