Hi, I'm Therese!
I’m a Norwegian jewellery designer, and I’ve been designing and making jewellery in one form or another for more than 20 years.
For even longer than that, I’ve tended to over-perform, care way too much about what other people think, and struggle with perfectionism. And no, not the “good” kind you mention in a job interview when they ask about your weaknesses, which really just means you’re extra thorough. It’s the nasty kind that makes me overthink every stupid little detail and struggle to finish any larger projects (but I do love starting them).
Scandinavian design, Japanese depth
KAIHŌ is one project I’m sticking with, and it combines two things I’m drawn to: Scandinavian design and Japanese culture. Both value simple, natural shapes and things made to last. The blend of the two even has its own term, Japandi. While it’s mostly used in interior design, I think “Japandi jewellery” is a good description of what I make too.
When naming pieces and collections, I often borrow from Japanese. Japanese words can hold so much meaning and depth, and some describe things English doesn’t have a single word for. An example I really like is honne, which means the true thoughs and feelings you keep to yourself or only share with the people closest to you. The opposite of honne is tatemae.
Less tatemae, more honne
Tatemae is the “public” version of your opinions: the polite facade you put on to meet other people’s expectations and avoid conflict. I’ve done a lot of that. I’ve mostly been the dutiful “good girl” who did what I thought was expected of me, and I’ve cared more about being liked than about saying what I actually think.
Now that I’m heading full speed into the second half of life, I’m very much done with this. I don’t have the energy, or the desire, to play a role that isn’t me, or to be a more “palatable” version of myself to please others. It’s not about becoming completely insufferable or ignoring other people’s feelings. It’s more about figuring out what I stand for, and daring to say what I think and feel without being so scared of “what everyone else thinks”.
But what’s all this got to do with jewellery?
Good question.
I’m not particularly spiritual, but I do believe in symbolism. A piece of metal, no matter how precious, doesn’t inherently hold any deeper meaning. But if we decide that it does, it will. It’s a bit like placebo: believing it works is what makes it work.
Jewellery is perfect for carrying meaning, since we wear it all day. I give each piece a meaning to start with, but what it ends up meaning to you is up to you. Either way, they all come back to the same thing: a reminder to give less of a damn about what other people think and be more yourself.