I won 2 prizes with one work, Precious People.

– Special Award for courage, innovation, uncompromising or joking character of the creative expression: „Silver Spur” statuette + 1 kg of silver

– Casting Services award: 0,5 kg of silver

And tonight some of my super supporters watched it online with me.

It did happen.

I’ve been thinking about what to do next (after graduating) and what to do with all these grains of silver.

My plan is taking shape and I’ll share it as soon as it’s concrete.

I want to thank the people standing close to me, who are always patient with me and my chaotic life of studying jewellery and a household: Matthias Campo, who supported me more than anyone to continue studying jewellery and who was the first believer of this piece and all my other pieces; Moira Campo, who’s making drawings full of sparkling diamonds for me every day, my mom Marleen Bockstael for being my mom and gemstone sponsor when I needed it, my teacher Hilde De Decker for the assignment of making an object full of bling, and my other teachers Hilde Van der Heyden, Ludovik Colpaert, Saskia Nachtvreugd, Irma Földényi and Liesbeth Den Besten for always pushing me to another level, and Hans Wuyts, who told me this is a good piece, despite my babbling; Bernard Claerhout for helping me on my quest for recycled silver and recycled gem stones; and my friends who are always and still interested in what I do.

I want to thank the Legnica Jewellery Festival Silver and Galeria Sztuki w Legnicy for my first experience to be selected ánd to win 2 awards; Jazek Byczewksi for creating a special statuette; KGHM Polska Miedz and Uslugi Odlewnicze for the silver prize.

And a special thanks to Massimo Sestini, the photographer of this World Press Photo 2014, that I’ve seen on a huge scale at the exhibition in Amsterdam, which inspired me since.

It’s the first time I thank people for their support. So even if I didn’t mention you while you were part of this journey: thank you, you’re a gem.

This is the link to the online exhibition.