The French-Dutch artist Julia Boix-Vives works at the intersection of visual art and jewellery design. In her practice, she explores the tension between ornament and body, with the act – the gesture – taking centre stage. Drawing on age-old rituals of care, beauty, and introspection, she creates a poetic universe of jewellery, objects, and performances.
Julia finds inspiration in the universal gesture of a woman before her mirror. This moment of transformation and intimate dialogue is translated into contemporary artworks in which everyday beauty accessories – such as make-up brushes, powder puffs, and sponges – engage in dialogue with precious metals, gemstones, and historical objects. Her earlier project Powder Memories, The Woman in Front of Her Mirror illustrates this quest beautifully.
She regards her residency at DIVA as an opportunity to deepen this line of research. The Lunden collection, with its toiletry boxes, snuffboxes, mirrors, and silver objects, strongly resonates with her artistic practice. By reinterpreting these historical pieces through jewellery and performance, she seeks to update their symbolism and infuse them with a contemporary narrative.
Julia also hopes to refine her technical skills, particularly in hammering and metalworking. Working in the DIVA atelier will allow her to anchor movement and transformation – central concepts in her work – more firmly in form and material.
She considers interaction with the public, specialists, and fellow residents an essential aspect of her residency. Through the upcoming DIVA talk and the concluding focus exhibition, she wishes to share her research and invite visitors to reflect on their own ideas of beauty, identity, and self-reflection. Julia regards the residency as an important step in her artistic development, where the encounter between historical traditions and contemporary creation takes centre stage.
