Artist Statement

“Bye, Bitch” is an in-progress jewellery piece. It is to be a wearable necklace that features traditional hand weaving techniques combined with the usage of my own hair and golden thread. “bye, Bitch” explores the cultural history of Victorian-era lockets, in which one would keep the hair of a deceased loved one, and other items of mourning jewellery, and seeks to subvert the expectations of grieving and the mourning process.

Artist Bio

​James Smyth is an emerging artist currently in their third year of Fine Art at RMIT. She primarily works in painting and jewellery with a focus on queer and feminist themes, with an emphasis on the process and materiality of the work. Humour, camp and religion are reoccurring themes that frequent her work.