Post-Colonial Gold
Post-Colonial Gold repositions this material not as luxury, but as a carrier of memory; not as a status symbol, but as evidence — evidence of extraction, of displacement, of value that is never neutral.
This collection operates as a form of anti-jewellery. The works are wearable sculptures that undermine the traditional function of jewellery: no ornament, no affirmation of status, no aesthetic harmony that renders power invisible. Gold is removed from its self-evident role.
What happens when gold is no longer adornment? Can another form of added value emerge — intellectual, historical, ethical? Post-Colonial Gold searches for an answer through form, through tension, through concept.
The project reflects and resonates with artists who address colonialism, extraction, representation and systems of value. In dialogue with broader art-historical movements — from institutional critique to postcolonial practices — the collection demonstrates how diverse form and meaning become when material shifts from decorative to discursive. Gold moves from aesthetic object to conceptual framework; from ornament to inquiry.
Rather than polishing history smooth, Post-Colonial Gold allows friction to remain. The works hold tension — materially and conceptually — inviting reflection rather than admiration. By transforming gold into sculptural form, possession shifts into position. The material carries ideology, and ideology can be rewritten.
In a world where colonial structures continue to shape trade, museums, fashion and global supply chains, the project poses a fundamental question: what is value when adornment disappears? Perhaps space emerges for another definition of wealth — one not based on extraction, but on insight; not on ownership, but on awareness.
Post-Colonial Gold transforms the most coveted of metals into a medium of critical presence — wearable, yet not decorative; visible, yet never neutral.
When “gold” is referred to in this collection, it signifies post-colonial gold: not mined, but constructed. The focus shifts from raw material to a redefinition of value itself.
Post-Colonial Gold
Concept & Text: Annelies Nuy
© 2026
