Emma Bugg

How can we honour the memory of an extinct creature?

Take a moment to pause and reflect on the memory of a creature that all too recently roamed the Tasmanian wilderness. Blending modern technology and delicate metalwork techniques, Tasmanian artist Emma Bugg has created a locket in memory of the extinct thylacine. Unlocking a portal to the past through encasing thylacine hair and DNA, this locket captures and connects to the importance of preserving endangered species. Lockets hold sentimental memories by keeping them physically close. Often filled with photos of loved ones dear or lost, what would it mean to hold parts of our lost environment with the same regard? Channelling a sense of magic, reverence, and reflection, we invite you to contemplate the fate of the thylacine and our impact on the natural environment.

During the development of the artwork A MOMENT TO REFLECT, Emma met with Professor Andrew Pask from the Thylacine Integrated Genetic Restoration Research (TIGRR) Lab at the University of Melbourne, resulting in the creation of a locket in memory of the extinct thylacine.

Emma Bugg is a Tasmanian jewellery designer and artist investigating the ways technology and material exploration can be embedded in jewellery to deepen connection and engagement with the piece. Compelled by a curiosity for secret codes, their practice looks at how jewellery can tell stories through materials, and continually investigates innovative ways technology can enhance the experience of jewellery.

Photography: Matthew Stanton