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Hayley Smith, co-founder and designer at Serpent & the Swan, creates delicate pieces of jewellery to be worn on fingers, ears and necks, with each containing a small part of her own heart and designed to last longer than the emotion it conveys. Here, RUSSH talks to the Sydney-based artist about her inspirations, symbolism and working with the ones she loves.
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Your label has always been rich with symbolism, why the new influx of bleeding hearts?
I have always been drawn to wounded or bleeding hearts. I've recently started to focus more on my jewellery, which is a good medium for the symbol.
What do they mean to you as a symbol?
A broken heart can symbolise many things - lost love, grief, disappointment. The symbol is certainly a sorrowful one, yet it is also very human.
I am obsessed with the pulsing sound of the heart - so much so that for one of our fashion weeks I had a friend record a heartbeat and use the audio to create a piece of music for the soundtrack for the show.
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Do you think each of your wearer can reinterpret your chosen imagery?
Of course! It’s always up to the wearer to interpret and connect with the imagery I choose. In fact, I expect that it is the wearer's interpretation of the imagery - the way it makes them feel - that draws them to it in the first instance.
When was the last time you had your heart broken?
Recently our little dog, Frida, was diagnosed with a rare, incurable disease. She is only four.
What piece of art breaks your heart every time?
Oh good question. There are lots. The Pre-Raphaelite John Everett Millais's Ophelia, Goya's The Dog, and the works of Anish Kapoor - his voids and blood mirror works really get to me.
Music too. Mount Eerie's 2017 album entitled A Crow Looked at Me is probably the most heartbreaking thing I've ever heard.
What is it like collaborating with your sister and your husband?
Interesting. With both of them I don’t really even have to express my intentions as they can both read my mind. Which is a slightly scary place to be in.
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