“
Here again, the boundaries between function and ornament, object and body, dissolve. Industrial materials — often drawn from systems of machinery and production — are subtly transformed, their symbolic and material properties rearticulated rather than concealed. In wearable form, these objects move even closer to lived experience, becoming extensions of the body and carriers of personal narrative. To spend time with Michael’s work — or with his words — is to encounter a practice in motion. It resists closure, embraces contradiction and finds meaning in the in-between.”
- Happy Accidents and Tender Objects: The Expansive Practice of Matthew Michael, Connect Everything Collective (2026)
𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻, 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆.
As an ongoing project, unconventional methods of ornamentation are reorientated by designating functionality as a means of embellishment. Utilitarian roles become obsolete in the assembly process, as specification-led applications inherit human intuition.
Here, the lightweight 𝗴𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 whilst Marine-grade 316L Stainless Steel (UNS S31603) hinges 𝗽𝗶𝘃𝗼𝘁. 316 Stainless Steel cable ties 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲 the assembly 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴.
Polyamide 𝗳𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗲𝘀, such as Nylon 6 and Nylon 6.6, 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 providing colour 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘀. Again, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 in the assembly process.
As 𝘄𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘁'𝘀 𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲, 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 to ground that which we cannot physically carry.
As 𝗯𝗶𝗼𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀, boroque pearls abut 𝗻𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘆𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺, as 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗸𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗽𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱𝘀.
By combining 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘀-𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 with Earth’s 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 and living 𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀, each piece 𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗻.