Jude Benhalim’s Digital Citizen

Jewelry designer Jude Benhalim has become known for her designs inspired by modern themes. Last year marked her successful collection “Urban Rebel” in which she concocted pieces that symbolize urban living with its sharp angles, geometrical lines, and industrial shapes. For her latest collection “Digital Citizen” she turns her attention to the urban citizen instead of his surroundings. The collection addresses the intersection of human interaction with technology, resulting into an era of ‘Digital Citizens.

The collection represents our modern reality, in which technology pervades every corner of our existence. Taking it beyond the concept of “wearable technology” to embody the virtual world that exists in tandem with the physical world; featuring a series of pieces that are symbolic of the electronic space.

Birthed at the intersection of art and technology, this collection features icons and symbols that we see on a daily basis through our interactions with technology. Tangled wires, spirals and hoops, are all fused with the jewelry to become an artistic statement about the hold technology has over the human race. Other emblems of our eternally plugged-in lives include barcodes, pixels, and the loading wheel.

In the designer’s eyes, “as we become more and more entrenched in the 21st century, the more technology, social media and online data has become not only a part of our everyday lives but a part of who we are and how we identify ourselves. Everyone is “connected”, but in reality, growing more detached from human contact than ever before. However much we try to fight it, being “online” has become a need more than a want. This collection exemplifies the drawbacks of the virtual world, and the glitches in this man-made system of plugged-in living.”

The collection features an array of 925 sterling silver and gold-plated brass pieces. From chokers, to earrings, to necklaces, all pieces make a bold statement with cutout detailing and intertwined designs that compliment the feminine colors in resin stone inserts. Colors used include warm burgundy, petrol blue, teal, and aubergine.

The designer’s avid love of color is shown throughout the collections; with each piece of resin dyed by hand & with each color mixed individually. Colors vary according to the fashion trend palettes, making each collection unique in its shapes and colors. As with all Jude Benhalim jewelry, the collection is made with traditional local craftsmanship and is marked by its high quality.