Bronze A' Design Award Winner 2025
Radiating from the neckline of a figure clad in deep charcoal knitwear, Mayté Ossorio Domecq's Zig Zag Contemporary Jewelry Line presents a striking sculptural collar piece executing a full 180-degree semicircular arc across the upper torso, its architectural form commanding immediate visual attention through the dramatic interplay of light across meticulously arranged parallel elements that fan outward in rhythmic progression from twin anchor points positioned at each shoulder terminus. The compositional architecture adheres to bilateral symmetry, establishing perfect equilibrium through mirror-image construction where each half of the neckpiece radiates from its respective shoulder fastening point, the twin origins creating a dynamic tension that resolves in the harmonious meeting of opposing directional forces at the central frontal axis. The color palette operates within a sophisticated monochromatic scheme dominated by lustrous metallic silver-gray tonalities ranging from bright specular highlights suggesting polished sterling or white gold to deeper pewter and gunmetal midtones in recessed areas, this chromatic restraint allowing maximum emphasis on the play of light and shadow across the dimensional surfaces while the neutral warm charcoal of the supporting garment provides ideal chromatic contrast that elevates the jewelry's luminosity without competing for visual hierarchy. The tonal value structure achieves remarkable range within its limited chromatic bandwidth, exploiting the full spectrum from near-white brilliance at peak highlight zones where light strikes perpendicular to reflective surfaces through graduated middle values along angled facets to rich dark accents in the interstitial shadows between individual radiating elements, this sophisticated value modulation creating powerful three-dimensional volumetric modeling despite the essentially planar nature of the individual components. Illumination appears to derive from diffused studio lighting positioned frontally with slight elevation, casting soft directional shadows beneath the projecting elements while maintaining even overall exposure that reveals detail across the entire composition, the quality suggesting professional photography standards with careful attention to specular highlight control preventing blown-out overexposure while preserving metallic brilliance, the cool color temperature of approximately 5500K maintaining neutral rendering without warm or cool chromatic bias. The spatial construction employs shallow depth of field with critical focus maintained on the central jewelry piece while the wearer's facial features in the upper frame recede into soft atmospheric blur, this selective focus strategy directing viewer attention exclusively to the design object while providing essential human-scale context and wearability demonstration, the relationship between adorned body and adornment establishing the jewelry as simultaneously autonomous sculptural statement and integrated complement to the human form. Surface quality reveals meticulous fabrication with consistent matte-satin metallic finish across all radiating elements, each individual bar or blade exhibiting precision-milled edges, uniform thickness, and parallel orientation that suggests computer-aided design and manufacturing processes ensuring geometric exactitude, the regularity of spacing and angle progression creating optical rhythm and visual cadence as the eye travels along the curved trajectory from shoulder to shoulder. Edge treatment throughout maintains crisp hard-edged definition between each projecting element and the surrounding negative space, this clarity of boundary emphasizing the jewelry's graphic impact and architectural precision while the soft-focus treatment of the human substrate provides complementary textural contrast between manufactured geometric perfection and organic human presence. Stylistically, the work engages contemporary jewelry design movements emphasizing sculptural statement pieces, kinetic visual impact, and the transformation of personal adornment into wearable architecture, suggesting dialogue with mid-century modernist design principles particularly the geometric reductivism and industrial material celebration of the Bauhaus tradition while the radiating fan motif evokes Art Deco sunburst iconography reinterpreted through minimal contemporary aesthetic sensibility, the design demonstrating technical mastery of metalworking fabrication while achieving conceptual sophistication that elevates functional jewelry into the realm of body sculpture and performance of identity through adornment. The atmospheric resonance reads as confident, contemporary, sophisticated, and architecturally bold, the jewelry asserting strong visual presence without aggression, instead projecting controlled power and refined modernist elegance, the psychological tenor suggesting a wearer who commands attention through design intelligence and sculptural impact rather than chromatic exuberance or precious material ostentation, the overall affective register balancing minimalist restraint with dramatic formal gesture creating memorable visual impression that rewards extended contemplation of proportional relationships, rhythmic progression, and the fundamental transformation of metal into wearable art that mediates between body and social space.
From Straight to Curved: The Zig Zag Takes Shape. This applied research project explores the transformation of a straight line into a curve through cross-sections. The objective was to design a strong and visually striking necklace while minimizing material usage and optimizing structural efficiency. The methodology was based on direct experimentation, where different cutting and bending techniques were tested to achieve the desired flexibility and form