Jocke Berg x the HÖGDALEN: It’s time for “Work”
Jocke Berg, Swedish songwriter, producer, and former front figure in the legendary Swedish rock group KENT, is finally back for the HÖGDALEN. Take part in the story behind his new jewellery collection “Work”.
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- Jocke Berg x the HÖGDALEN: It’s time for “Work”
It has been three years since Jocke Berg launched his first jewellery collection for the HÖGDALEN. At that time, the jewellery industry was a clean slate for the songwriter and former frontman of the Swedish rock band KENT. This time he could sit down with greater confidence at the sketch table.
“I learned so much from doing the first collection. I’m in the music industry, where we basically don’t have any physical products anymore. But when you work with jewellery, it becomes so clear that everything is about what it looks like, what it weighs, how it feels and how the light is reflected”, says Jocke.
”My personal favourites from the first collection had one thing in common; they all had many surfaces where the light was reflected – they simply looked very beautiful in light. So, this time, I thought a lot about how to create the same result, without making super intricate patterns and reliefs and whatever it could be."
"And it resulted in the nut”, he continues, referring to the jewellery “Nutjob collier”, “Nut bracelet” and “Nut necklace”. “Since I’m such a big fan of everything Rihanna does, I thought ‘Work’ was a very funny title for the whole thing.”
Stuck in an eternal crossword puzzle
Considering how the jewellery is named, it’s clear that Jocke is an experienced word wizard. Like the name “Nutjob collier”, for example, where “nut” refers to the nut-shaped silver and gold parts, while “nutjob” is another word for a crazy person.
“I think it’s really funny”, says Jocke with a laugh. “Playing with words comes from what I do every day, working with music and lyrics. It’s like being stuck in an eternal crossword puzzle. I like when there is a twinkle in the eye – when things get a little playful. For many, creativity becomes so incredibly serious all the way through. It’s quite fun if you put in blood, sweat and tears and a lot of heart in what you do, but still add a little humour to it.”
Valuable utensils
The step of creating an exclusive piece of jewellery in gold or silver, based on something as mundane as a nut, can be seen as far-fetched.
“The nuts, in particular, came out so much better than I could ever have hoped for. I like that idea of highlighting utensils and make them valuable in some way. And I think nuts, bolts and nails are certainly interesting because they are such throwaways.”
“One of my favourite designers ever, Carol Christian Poell, who mainly makes clothes, but also jewellery every now and then, made a bracelet in the shape of a nail, hammered to wrap 1 ½ turn around the wrist. Very beautiful but also brutal in a way. It made me think that maybe you could use something else from that world – wear and tear objects that still have an incredibly exciting and beautiful shape. When the nuts became this small and you put them together, they will each spin in its own way, creating very, very nice reflections.”
The heart with the keyhole
The key is a recurring symbol for Jocke Berg. In his first collection, he created the “Hell key necklace”, with inspiration from the key-shaped tattoo found on his forearm. This time the jewellery is called “Right key” and consists of both a heart and a key. In the heart, there is a small keyhole, in which the key fits perfectly.
“I’m extremely fond of the heart with the keyhole, and the fact that you can choose how to use it. You can use it as a necklace if you want, or you can use it as an earring. You can buy two and give one to your loved one and keep the other to yourself. All of that – it’s nice”, says Jocke.
“I like the idea of locking valuable things in, even if it’s only in one's own head. I think it’s a great symbolism to it. And I also like the contrast between the hard, and cold that a key represents, against a heart that is soft and big. It is also said that the heart has so many rooms that you don’t know how much space there is, until the doors to these rooms are opened. And that’s also a beautiful way of thinking of it.”
Jewellery for rookies
The aim with the first collection was to create jewellery for men, but with a more sensitive approach. For this collection, he chose to focus on those who may not be used to wear jewellery. “I don’t wear much jewellery myself, I have done for certain periods, but I think it’s interesting to make jewellery for people who may not be so interested in the flashiest things. Instead, I have made pieces that mean something, that you can buy as a gift for yourself when you have done something good, or for someone else.”
“I think Jocke himself is surprised of how well his first collection landed. This new one is at least as strong. I’m so happy that he opened the door to a new exciting design collaboration with the HÖGDALEN!” concludes Efva Attling.
Jocke Berg x the HÖGDALEN
The plans for a collaboration started ten years ago when Efva Attling asked Jocke Berg if he would like to design his own jewelry. And now, it’s finally here. Jocke Berg’s first jewelry collection, exclusively for the HÖGDALEN.
