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A larger than life jewelry composition on the wall; that is the best way to describe the work of Angelique Jonkers. She has created a style, unique in the world, transferring the idea of jewelry away from personal adornment to an enrichment of our living environment.
“Jewel, jewel on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?”
Ingenious constructions of semi-precious gemstones, gold, silver, copper and brass metals are combined with other natural elements like fossils, coral, rare shells, miniature paintings and many other rarities to create an unforgettable image.
“I was influenced by the Renaissance/Baroque period and its distinct, decorative style, especially in the area of jewelry,” Angelique said.
She also admits influences from the “Belle Époque” era, known as the Beautiful and Gilded Age. “My work is also “touched” by the Middle and Far East. Inspiration comes from impressions gathered while traveling all over the world and the materials collected visiting various countries. It can be anything that attracts me. Once I have it in my studio I start creating and sometimes it feels as if it is not me making these artworks but that I am guided from another world.”
The gemstones and minerals that Angelique works with are millions of years old formed deep in the earth. “They give me an inner feeling of richness and beauty”, she said.
Angelique has been collecting the materials she works with all her life. “Everything that shines, shimmers or is special in some kind of way, I buy!” she said. “My studio looks like a curiosity cabinet after 35 years of gathering”.
“I create my work in two ways: two or three dimensional. The 3D is the most difficult one to make; piece by piece, I build a composition of jewels, pearls, metals and other selected materials to form a jewelers design. Only when I am completely satisfied (a matter of weeks) is the design transferred to perspex where each individual piece is attached and framed exquisitely (another matter of weeks).”
Regarding the two dimensional form; it is a composition that her husband, the art photographer John de Lisle, photographs with a high resolution Phase-One 80 million pixels camera. The image is then sprayed in thin layers on plexiglass where a special gold or silver foil is mounted. This creates a slight sense of dimension (relief). The frame is made out of polished aluminum. “These 2D works have a more modern look than the 3D pieces,” Angelique explained.
The artist’s works do not only glitter, they shimmer and penetrate the senses, exemplifying beauty, love and joy. Rich in tones, strikingly powerful but with a unique theme and form, the dimensions are large, usually 90cm x 120cm. Because of their large size they work well on expansive walls. That is why they were photographed in some of the most beautiful castles in the Haspengouw, Belgium.
Angelique’s work is an extension of her being and personality. “My art is a mirror of my emotions,” she said, “like a barometer of my life”.
Angelique lives with her husband and three children on a large estate of 10 hectares in Belgium (angelpark.be), where they have created many monumental artworks such as gemstone gardens, a very large bird nest with a golden egg and many other things. livingroomjewels.com
