Upon observing Roberta Bernabei’s jewellery, one is immediately aware of the fact that its 'contents' go beyond mere adornment. Space, absence, presence, the human body: all key words in Bernabei’s art. Indeed, her works can unquestionably be considered miniature sculptures for the body.
The concept of making space tangible has been one of her main areas of research in recent times. This idea initiated in her earlier works with her 'memory spaces', consisting in stones or objects removed from the cluster that had been created for them, leaving an empty space; the viewer is thus prompted to envisage or remember its former contents.
This theory then developed into a concept of space surrounding the human body. Jewellery’s relation to the body and its interaction to it has always played an important role in her work. As opposed to most Italian artists, Bernabei has made very little use of gold, if not in a minor form for its symbolic value. The choice of expression in unconventional materials led her to the use of found objects in earlier works, whilst since the year 2000 she has been experimenting with silicone, human hair, ice, soap and chocolate, among others.
She has made use of silicone to convey the space/body theory. A silicone mould is created with imprints of parts of the human body or of spaces between parts of the body. Alginate is subsequently encapsulated in the spaces created and magnified by what resembles a lens. On the other hand materials such as ice, chocolate and soap have been employed as a metaphor to describe the temporary nature of our lives. Human hair is used as a means of expressing the opposite as, along with our bones, it withstands decay even after death. Her fascination also stems from the fact that our DNA can be traced through the hair.
In more recent times the space-related theory has further evolved and directed Bernabei to study the concept of space in other cultures and to broaden her definition of space. The Japanese culture has been of special interest to her, since space is conceived as an experience in Japanese society; hence the absence of it, for example, is seen differently according to the situation and is not necessarily negative or positive in itself, but subject to different circumstances. This phenomenon has led her to study the juxtaposition of circles limiting and enclosing space (see the porcelain circles piece, 2005). The outlines of the white circles in this piece draw the viewer’s attention to the empty space within and the surrounding area. Her current creative process puts emphasis on empty spaces and white surfaces: white as a reference to purity and essence. Different sized geometric shapes, generally circles, are combined to exemplify her studies of the aesthetics of empty spaces.
Amber coloured silicone has been utilized lately to underline the correlation between the fossil resin that preserves and withholds vital information on extinct species, such as insects or plants, and silicone that preserves space, now referred to as space in general rather than space surrounding the body. Amber does of course conceal a given moment in time, but most important of all is the notion that amber conceals space, just as silicone conceals space in Bernabei’s work.
Bernabei’s command of her chosen materials is evident, as is the use of the 'language' she avails herself of to convey her messages. What strikes the viewer is that nothing is left to chance. Each and every detail is accurately studied and planned before proclaiming a piece completely finished. All artefacts are the result of months, at times years of studies and come together to form a puzzle, in a skilful play of codes that are set out for us to decipher. We are then left to delve into a world of hidden meanings, making the pieces all the more stimulating. The viewer is invested with an active role and cannot remain indifferent when observing the works before him/her.
Rita Marcangelo October, 2005
Director, Alternatives Gallery, Rome
Chairman, AGC – Associazione Gioiello Contemporaneo