Katja Prins

Bound by Blood

The Netherlands, 2007

Necklace

Materials:

wooden beads, cotton

Techniques:

the wooden beads are tacked up on a cotton

string

Dimension in cm:

ø 30 cm

Artist Statement:

This necklace brings together and mixes

various prayer-necklaces, which only differ

in detail. Prayerbeads are being used in

several religions and they all have their

own systematical design. The beads stands

for the different prayers and by following

the beads you can’t loose track and count

while you are praying. The Roman-Catholic

church has the ‘rosary”, the Islam has the

“tespi”, Buddhism (Nichiren) has the “juzu”

and Tibetan Buddhism has the “mala”.

Nowadays we are living in a time of

globalization. Worldwide people are

connecting more and more, not only

economically, but also politically and

culturally. Borders are fading and people

travel and migrate more than ever. Out of

that comes integration of different cultures

and religions. Partly because of the not

always so very successful integration-policy

of many countries, extremism in certain

religions also flourishes, conflicts arise.

With this/my interpretation of the prayer-

necklace I want to bring together all prayer-

necklace and make 1 out of it all.  A

contemporary blood red prayer necklace.

In my opinion the religions don’t differ so

much from one another, they differ mostly

in details.

That’s what I want to show with this

necklace. By bringing together all the

prayerbeads, symbolically I want to bring

together the different religions and with

that the people. The title “Bound by Blood”

stands for the idea that on the inside we are

all the same. It also refers to the many wars

(and with that the shedding of a lot of

blood) that have been fought in the name of

religion.

What was your starting point or your

inspiration for doing this project?

I designed this necklace for the Chi Ha

Paura…? -collection  “Rituals”. When I

thought of “rituals” I immediately had to

think of the rosary of my mother and the

prayer beads where the men in Turkey play

with all the time. Religious rituals, in all

forms,  are so much part of our daily life.

What were the main reasons for choosing

the materials, shapes or technique in your

work?

I explained this in the concept: the necklace

is referring to traditional prayer necklaces.

What kind of feeling you wish the viewers

will get from your work?

I would like to make them think about this

subject I’m referring to; on the inside we are

all the same. Religion should stand for love

not war.

If you could give your Jewelry to an

important figure in the Middle East who

will he/she be? and why?

I would like to give it to all the fanatics, the

extremists that kill other people out of

“religion”

Personal information:

personal website:

www.katjaprins.com

Inspiring artists:

Christiaan Bastiaans, but also Mark

Manders, Luc Tuymans, a.o.

Top 3 materials:

Any material

If I wasn’t an artist what profession would I

choose?

music

My dream is

probably the same as everyone’s…