In her lecture, Sharareh Aghaei talks about her career as a jewellery designer from Iran - about her migration, her design studies in Europe and the influence of these experiences on her creative work.
Since her arrival in a new cultural environment, she has been intensively engaged with the question of identity and looks at this concept from different angles. After completing her studies at the Campus Gemstone and Jewellery in Idar-Oberstein, she initially worked as a stone engraver in a prestigious company. It was during this time that she realised how much waste is produced in gemstone processing - a realisation that gave her food for thought.
This is because gemstones are extremely valuable and take millions of years to form. Nevertheless, they are mined on a large scale for industrial and design purposes. The jewellery and fashion industries in particular are among the largest consumers of high-quality stones. Many rough stones - such as those with inclusions or tiny cracks - are considered rejects, even though their flaws are barely recognisable to the naked eye. These materials are often disposed of.
In view of this problem, Aghaei is now devoting himself intensively to upcycling gemstones. For her current project, she exclusively uses discarded stones from workshops or from other artists: "I see it as my mission to give these stones a new life and make their overlooked beauty visible again."
The lecture by Sharareh Aghaei will take place on Wednesday, 18 June, at 5pm in the Cafete, House B, of the Faculty of Design at Renatastrasse 11 in Hildesheim.
Admission is free of charge.
Further information on Sharareh Aghaei can be found at here.
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