Ball & Chain - wearable Sculpture/Jewelry
Artist Statement:
Our skeleton is something we all have in common, but the way we wear it can be different. For this wearable piece, I used variations of 4.1mm, 10mm, and 3cm gold chains to drape a skeletal frame. I wanted to accentuate the spine and the cage-like silhouette of the ribs in a beautiful way to foster appreciation for the human body, in contrast to the way the human body may, at times, feel. I then hand-crafted and baked a clay bead to express the weight that can accompany a rare diagnosis.
EDS is a multi-systemic condition with built-in duality. While pain is mostly felt in stiff and overcompensating muscles, it’s often the joints, like the ribs or spine, that can shift or sublux. Although we can’t see this without a scan, this jewelry piece is meant to provide a visual representation of such laxity when worn. One of the first barriers I had to overcome in reaching a diagnosis was making the unseen visible.
Visibility is also often the first barrier we must overcome in advocacy. It is my hope to continue expanding the dialogue around rare diseases by showcasing the relatable feelings that come with them.
-The Visual Art Campaign-
In a world that wants to weigh down everything that makes us rare - our bodies, our minds, our stories - this isn't just jewelry. It's a reclamation.
This is for the ones who were told their uniqueness was "too much." For the ones who carry invisible burdens, and still make it fashion. You're not chained down - you're rooted in your power.
Weight Made Visible.
Ready to wear:
Ball & Chain
Collection
Bracelet:
9" gold chain w/ black pendant. (4.1mm)
Anklet:
14" gold chain w/ black pendant. (4.1mm)
Necklace:
21" gold chain w/ black pendant. (4.1mm)
Ball & Chain - But Fashion.
About the Artist
Amanda Van Eps
is a multidisciplinary artist, designer, and advocate based in Vermont whose work explores the emotional architecture of perception, embodiment, and visibility. With a foundation in interior design and a deep connection to rare disease advocacy, Amanda transforms personal insight into public dialogue through sculpture, poetry, and immersive installations.
Her artistic practice is guided by a blend of intrapersonal, existential, and visual-spatial intelligence. Drawing from her own lived experience, Amanda channels introspection into symbolic forms—whether through skeletal gold chain sculptures that challenge how we see the human body or through seasonal poems that evoke tenderness in the unnoticed. Her work invites audiences to confront the dualities of the internal and external, the visible and invisible, the rational and absurd.
As a legislative advocate, board member for Disability Rights Vermont, and co-founder of One Room Theatrics, Amanda is committed to equity, accessibility, and emotionally resonant storytelling. Her poetry and wearable art have been featured in rare disease showcases and used to bridge conversations between clinical language and lived experience.
Through her multidisciplinary lens, Amanda’s mission is to make the unseen visible—and to expand the emotional vocabulary through which we understand pain, identity, and the politics of perception.
Coming Soon!
Pins & Needles
Collection
Necklace
Pins & Needles - But Fashion.