CAROLINA APOLONIA
The Netherlands

Education & professional experience

2006-2011
Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp (BE).

2007 - 2012
Curator/owner of gallery IO contemporary jewellery & objects Middelburg (NL).

MEET THE ARTIST!

Which step in your creative process does no one see, but is absolutely crucial?

Time. The weeks, months, and sometimes years of thinking, writing, drawing, testing, and experimenting that precede the actual act of making. The time needed to put a piece aside for a while, to let it rest, to sleep on it for a few nights, before returning to it with fresh eyes.

Which materials do you most enjoy working with, and why?

I work predominantly with wood and silver. Working with wood feels very natural to me, perhaps because it is such a beautiful material in its own right: a natural product with a distinctive scent, and one that is wonderfully tactile and responsive to work with.

What kind of music is usually playing in your studio?

Music is very important to me. I have created a Spotify playlist called 'Studio Music', with genres ranging from ambient and jazz to hip-hop. It accompanies me throughout the making process.

Do you work more intuitively, or according to a clear plan?

Both. The ideas for form and material that emerge during the design process always come to me intuitively. Once I begin making, however, I usually work according to a clear plan: the sequence of steps is determined, all the materials are prepared, and I generally follow that structure quite closely. At the same time, there is always room for spontaneity, for unexpected coincidences, discoveries, or new possibilities that emerge along the way.

Do you remember the first piece of jewellery you ever bought or started collecting?

The first pieces of jewellery I remember receiving were given to me by my grandmother, as her only granddaughter. They are traditional heirlooms from Indonesia and are incredibly precious to me. I am deeply intrigued by the emotional value that an object can carry, how it can become imbued with memory, meaning, and a sense of presence. I hope to pass them on one day.

EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS

  • 2026 Munich Jewellery Week with Galerie Beyond and J is for Jewellery, Munich (DE).
  • 2025 Contemporania Barcelona (ES).​
  • 2024 New York Jewelry Week with Galerie Beyond NYC (US).
  • 2024 Contemporary Jewellery Biennale Lisbon (PT). 
  • 2017 KunstRAI Art Fair @galerie Beyond, Amsterdam (NL). 
  • 2016 Of things unknown but longed for still solo expo galerie Beyond, Antwerp (BE).
  • 2014 Transformed VOGOZE gallery, Seoul (KR).
  • 2013 Shift Grunwald gallery Bloomington (US).
  • 2012 Funded International Craft Residency Cove Park (SCH).
  • 2009 International Craft Biennale Cheongju (KR).