Floral Flourish in Ornamental Form
Bloom Bloom
Client
Chi ha paura…? Foundation
Design
Frank Tjepkema / Tjep.
Production
Tjep.
Year
2008
Floral Flourish in Ornamental Form
In the verdant imagination of Tjep., where nature's ephemera meets the permanence of design, Bloom Bloom unfurls as a delicate manifesto on growth and fragility. Conceived as part of the "Ecology" themed collection for the innovative Chi ha paura…? Foundation—a Dutch powerhouse founded by design luminary Gijs Bakker—this piece transforms the simple act of blooming into a profound commentary on sustainability and transience. Amid a world grappling with environmental flux, Tjep. captures the poetry of a flower's fleeting splendor, rendering it as jewelry that both adorns and admonishes.
Petals of Provocative Adornment
Bloom Bloom reimagines the brooch as a living vignette, its form a cluster of meticulously layered petals in translucent resin and recycled bio-materials that mimic the blush of dawn-kissed blossoms. Each "bloom" emerges from a slender stem of oxidized silver, evoking the quiet tenacity of flora pushing through urban cracks. The design's genius lies in its duality: wearable as a subtle lapel accent or brooch, it shifts with the wearer's movement, petals subtly parting to reveal hidden compartments for tiny seed embeds—literal tokens of renewal, inviting the owner to plant and perpetuate life's cycle.
From Seed to Statement Piece
Crafted with Tjep.'s hallmark precision, the piece employs low-impact fabrication techniques, from laser-etched detailing to hand-polished edges that catch light like dew on leaves. Available in editions of soft pastels or bold monochromes, it challenges the disposability of fast fashion, urging a slower, more mindful ornamentation. As Frank Tjepkema observes, "In an age of excess, Bloom Bloom reminds us that true beauty is born of restraint— a petal's poise before the fall." This collaboration underscores Tjep.'s foray into conceptual jewelry, bridging his furniture roots with intimate, body-bound expressions.
Ecology's Whisper in Wearable Art
Debuting within Chi ha paura…?'s 2008 Ecology series—alongside works from visionaries like Ron Arad and Marc Newson—Bloom Bloom probes the intersections of human adornment and planetary health. The foundation's ethos of commissioning non-jewelers to rethink the medium amplifies the piece's outsider perspective, turning a brooch into a badge of eco-awareness. Exhibited globally from the Stedelijk Museum to Vicenza's design fairs, it has sparked dialogues on green craftsmanship, proving jewelry can be more than mere accessory—it's a catalyst for contemplation.
Chi ha Paura's Verdant Venture
A testament to Tjep.'s boundary-pushing spirit, Bloom Bloom endures as an emblem of hopeful horticulture in design. It invites the wearer not just to display, but to nurture—sowing seeds of change one bloom at a time. In the foundation's pantheon of provocative pieces, it blooms eternal, a fragile yet fierce call to cherish what flourishes amid adversity.