Isabella Bedlington | Contemplating the Afterlife, 'Liminal Space'

Artist: Isabella Bedlington, United Kingdom
Materials:  oxidized sterling silver and fine gold
Size: 7.75

Artist Statement: My artistic exploration delves into the contemplation of the afterlife's significance within the human experience. I undertake inquiries that revolve around the intriguing possibility of our present existence being a continuation of a former life. The genesis of my artistic journey finds its roots in a jade ring-shaped object known as Bi, an ancient artefact from Chinese heritage that historically assisted departed souls on their passage to the afterlife.
My perspective aligns the concept of an afterlife with the intricate fabric of time itself. Within this framework, numerous lifetimes pivot, concealed within the enigma of time. Evoking the essence of this philosophy, 'Contemplating the Afterlife' embodies the torus' cyclic form, which symbolizes the perpetual cycle of death and rebirth that all material things undergo. This ring illustrates two borders and the space in between, expressing the popular ideology of there being a liminal space between life and death. 

Artist Bio: Isabella Bedlington is an award-winning jeweler. She graduated from The Glasgow School of Art with a first-class silversmithing and jewelry BA in 2023. Using traditional decorative techniques such as Keum boo and granulation, her recent collection delves deeply into the significance of the afterlife in our earthly existence, utilizing the torus as her recurring motif.

This ring was part of Battle of the Rings: Ring Smackdown 2024, an online exhibition and competition. View the entire collection HERE, view the matches HERE, and learn more HERE.