Jewellery made out of human hair

Ingrid van Huesden makes jewellery out of human hair.

It began with a friend's dreadlocks," says Ingrid as she sets a woven bracelet on the table in her small studio. "I surveyed people to see their interest. Most said it looked like something the cat sicked up, or something you'd pull out of the drain."

That criticism may put most artists off, but Ingrid stuck to her vision. The result is a quirky collection of necklaces, earrings and paintbrushes created from human hair.

It's her final project as a contemporary-crafts graduate at Unitec and, yes, she's aware people will think it's a bizarre medium for an artist.

"If someone said a year ago that I'd be doing this, I'd say, 'You're mad'."

She explains how the hair-brained scheme came about. "Last year I was researching and came across radical jewellery makeovers and Ethical Metalsmiths," she says.

Radical jewellery makeovers is the concept of reworking old jewellery into new pieces while the metalsmiths are a US company promoting sustainable jewellery.

The concept of making jewellery from hair isn't new - it just isn't common.

"In the 19th century, hair was used for memory, as a memento and for sentimental value. Queen Victoria started it. She would give hair jewellery to her friends and family. When people died, it was common to take a lock of hair and make something out of it," Ingrid says.

Ingrid discovered a more recent example of the practice, in a family heirloom. "My mother's family were English traders in India. There were twin boys who died. Their hair was sent to France and made into this bracelet," she says, pulling up an image on her laptop of a heavy-set, ornate bracelet, with silver detailing interspersed between thick hair.

She's intrigued by people's responses to the hair. "When hair's attached to the head it's a thing of beauty. As soon as it's not, it's disgusting."

Among her creations is a never-ending chain of treated hair given by women who've also contributed to a journal about what hair means to them. "I find myself looking at other people's hair differently now."

And, yes, Ingrid considered using pubic hair. "I looked at merkins - they're wigs that fit over the pubic bone - but I thought it best not to go there."

Hair today on display

Ingrid's work will be exhibited at the Unitec Grad Show 2011

from December 1

.

More info:

www.unitec.ac.nz/gradshow

Other graduates' art

It being the end of the academic year, there is more student art on display in December.

Artstation, Ponsonby Rd, is exhibiting work from four of its year-long courses which cover painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography and glass casting. The exhibitions run from November 21 to December 17.

More info on times and courses: www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/artstation