Alexandra Prelipcean, Romania

The "Learning to Live Again" brooch tells stories about where we are Here and Now. Stories about loss and recovering, about getting stronger and healing a broken heart, about finding Hope and learning to live again. I used the contrast between the humble yet incredible paper, next to gold leaf and pearls, to symbolize the transmutation, the change that came from within, when we realized the value of the simple things, when we found some good in all the bad things that surrounded us. I used white as a symbol of new beginnings- the blank canvas waiting to be written upon, by putting the past behind and finding the courage to move on. Even if there are still scars…