Nicole Lakey came in with her US Army wrist identification bracelet, which, following regulations, was the only jewellery she had been allowed to wear during her turn with the medical corps. Finally back in civilian life, she expressed relief with not having to follow such strict rules all the times. As I understood it from Ms Lakey, her Army bracelet was still important as a memorabilia of that period in her life, but she was not happy wearing it just as it was, and preferred her current greater freedom. For me, the challenge was to transform the bracelet without shedding its ability to symbolize that important experience of Nicole’s, while still clearly marking that period as over.

It might look as if I just twisted the bracelet together into a knot, but look again and you will see that it is actually still a band, or a strip, but now closed instead of being open, and furthermore describing a specific mathematical figure. It is a Moebius strip, a band of material that closes in on itself and due to a half-turn before being put together again, makes both sides of the strip into one. Following the metal surface with ones finger, one would have to travel along the strip twice around, covering all the surface on both sides before coming back to where one started. For me, applying the Moebius twist to Nicole’s bracelet suggests the two sides of her life, the civilian and army sides, and how they are inextricably bound together. Furthermore, I didn’t just twist the bracelet once, but also bent it into the shape of a bi-torus, the figure of eight, which symbolizes eternity. Will Ms Lakey’s memories of her time in the Army last forever? Certainly not, but within the perspective of her own life, I assume that it is the kind of  experience that shapes her and stays with her for her whole life.