“Collectable and Curious”, two words that describe the history of our obsession with Jewellery, precious materials and objects that tell stories about who we are and how we see ourselves.
For this exhibition ACJSNI has brought together 17contemporary jewellers and silversmiths from all over the world. Each piece relates to the theme “Collectibles & Curiosities” representing a wide range of narratives and cultures. Their diverse approaches to the brief shows not only technical precision and a dynamic use of materials, it also reflects their artistry as storytellers. Jewellery is a statement to both challenge and delight; Collectible & Curious!
Alena Štukavcová Doležalová
Country: Czech Republic
Website: www.alenastukavcova.com
Title: ‘Be Good and Play’ Ring
Artist Statement:
My work is mainly based on traditional jewelry techniques such as repoussé, etching, niello, glyptic and wood carving, which I give a modern form to. I like to deal with natural or industrial themes or work with raw stones. I didn't study jewelry school, but illustration and puppet design, and I constantly draw inspiration from these fields. I also create sculptures, objects, and small useful art objects.
The ring "Be Good and Play" is a game. The principle is that you need to get the small metal ball from the upper amber bowl to the lower one. It is an extravagant piece of jewelry - a tool for practicing attention and patience. We all need to laugh!
Materials
The ring is made of forged sterling silver wire, deep etched bronze and hand carved amber. Amber bowls are fixed in a silver bed, and through the middle of them passes a silver tube through which the balls fall.
Artist Statement:
Since a while I am creating these "poetic toys", they are portable objects that relate feelings that I have been harboring over time. I try to express emotions in a three-dimensional format and tell stories through my absurd pieces. With humor I intend to reflect the reality that I perceive around me. Human beings try to appear rational, but being rational is an illusion?
Statement about the work
For this exhibition I made four jewels: two necklaces, a pair of rings and a brooch. My toys talk about my current concerns:
-”Estoy hecha un nudo” - “I’m made a knot" (necklace) represents my state of mind when dealing with my daily problems
-"I have been living for a long time wondering why the earth is so round and one no more, if we all live separately, so what for are the land and the sea, so that it is the sun that illuminates us if we do not want to look at each other...", (necklace) the title of this necklace is the lyrics of this song composed by a Chilean music group called "Los Jaivas", it is an emblematic Chilean song, which is still valid despite having been composed 50 years ago, and with this collar I try to reflect the environmental crisis and the inability to find common ground to achieve solutions
-”Mejor muerta que sencilla” - “better dead than simple" (earrings) speaks of vanity
-”Más vale prevenir que lamentar” - Better safe than sorry" (brooch) related to indiscriminate fishing in my country, imagining a possible marine revenge.
I usually use typical Chilean phrases to name my creations, for that reason I do not know how to translate them correctly and I hope that the concepts are understood
Anne Earls Boylan
Country: Northern Ireland
Instagram @aneboylan
Photography Simon Mills
Acquired by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland
Artist Statement:
I discovered ‘the workshop’ during a Foundation course in the 1980’s. Since then, materials and processes have been at the centre of an exploration in bias and value within Jewellery. This fascination encompasses the social and cultural tastes that drive the industry and can keep jewellery tethered to a restricted palate of gems and metals.
To adorn is to enhance, to make beautiful and importantly, be seen as an individual. And so, my works are limited runs and one-off pieces that combine the precious with non-precious, laser prints with hand processes. Each, a small statement to be worn, enhance the spirit and add to the rich experience of living.
Jewellery is a visual conversation, one that can deepen human connections: this role has never been more valuable than at present.
Statement about the work
Unusual and curious objects have a fascination that is hard to resist. They draw us into their orbit using familiar forms, colours, materials, and messages. They play with our memories and deepest emotions creating bonds between ‘us and them’
Jewellers can create a curious alchemy. A bridge between the imagined and fixed worlds, where nature inspires, and the hand and machine transmogrify materials into small statements. When worn the full potential of a jewel is realised. Its intrigue creates space for conversations, shared, and embodied within the memory of the piece; cherished and passed through the generations.
Materials
SLS stands for Selective Laser Sintering. It is an additive process with no waste in production. The metal: re-cycled White Metal (Sterling Silver when hallmarked) . Gems: semi-precious, responsibly sourced
Annie Ricketts
Country: UK
Instagram: @annie.ricketts.jewellery
Artist Statement:
I am a creative fine jewellery maker. My process focuses on the value of craftsmanship and authorship within jewellery.
I have a background in Fine Art and attempt to create a dialogue with each of my pieces.
Statement about the work
This piece is meant to play on where we place value within culture and craft. Does it have worth because it is beautifully made from precious metals? Or will it alternatively always be associated with the cheap consumable it is based on. It also makes a broader point about the endless consumption of commodities within Western culture. Is it jewellery due to the scale and materials? Or something else, a token, talisman as it has findings to be strung from? The piece includes a custom-printed chicken box.
Materials
18ct Gold-plated sterling silver chicken leg and custom chicken box
Cameron & Breen
Country: Northern Ireland
Website: www.cameronandbreen.com
Artist Statement:
Martin Cameron’s childhood fascination with illustration and Laura Breen’s intrigue with archaeology and making, lead them to cross paths whilst studying jewellery and silversmithing at The University of Ulster Belfast, graduating in 2014. During this time Martin studied and crafted delicate silver wire sculptures inspired by the rugged Irish landscape. Laura explored large scale silver and enamel jewellery, playing with the juxtaposition of unpredictable organic life found in geometric manmade structures. After university Martin undertook further years of education and training courses at the Goldsmiths’ Centre, London, whilst working to commission from his studio in Co. Antrim. Laura backpacked through Australia, New Zealand, Fuji, Japan, and Southeast Asia drawing creativity from new people and ways of life, igniting a passion for her own country’s unique culture and history.
In 2018 their paths crossed once more and in conversation Cameron & Breen became a contemporary goldsmithing collaboration between two friends, combining ideas, skills and techniques. They have since won awards from the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths and in 2021 presented their ‘Ancient Treasure’ brooch to HRH Princess Anne.
Statement about the work
Five individually hand carved and cast bronze beads focus on the idea of what is historically considered to be collectable, or curious in nature. Jewellery and ancient artefacts are excavated from the earth and placed into museum collections, strung or displayed how a curator or collector imagines they might have been worn. These beads have a tactile quality due to the heavy weight, naturally patinated bronze but with their size it is unclear how they would be intended to adorn the body and so they become curiosities to invoke imagination.
Materials
Each bead is hand carved in wax and then cast in bronze. Some have been engraved in ancient stone carved patterns or set with gemstones and all feature natural, unpredictable patination to the bronze.
Carmen López
Country: Spain
Website: www.carmenlopezenamel.com
Title Curious Spoon Pendants
Artist Statement:
My relationship with art comes from my family environment, in my house I smelled of pencils, crayons, watercolours. My older brothers were my references and making drawings and artistic objects is what I have done all my life.
As a teacher at the School of Art, I cooperated with and coordinated the León Ortega Art Gallery, annually creating exhibitions with the students and trips to artistic destinations. Large-volume creative ceramics occupied part of my creation.
My current work is based on portable objects, jewels of a narrative and conceptual nature with which I make small collections.
I work with various materials depending on the narrative I want to express, but I always include fire-enameled pieces and represented spoons, the “leitmotif” of my work.
Statement about the work
I have combined two profane elements, an enamel reproduction of a lock and a spoon. The union between the two produces an effect of a medallion or jewel of religious evocation, confusion that is cleared as soon as we look closely at it. I have always been attracted to symbolic jewelry pieces, especially those that tell us about religious beliefs or superstitions. I wanted to take an unexpected turn to produce a different emotion. Locks are used to open or close doors, chests, perhaps secrets. Spoons help us to feed ourselves, to survive. The combination of the two objects, as they are intertwined, suggests to me an iconic piece, an image that tells us about another possibility outside of its original uses. A simple ornamental piece.
A ready-made pendant Materials
Enamel, silver nickel and patinate silver
Artist Statement
I'm Carol Bergocce, a jeweler. I was born in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, and still work there. I have a degree in Literature from the Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie. I started creating jewelry in 2014 by studing various techniques and since 2018 I dedicate myself to artistic/contemporary jewelry. I describe my work as political since it mainly addresses socio-political issues in my country. My pieces are handmade, always in limited series.
Statement about the work:
The DISTOPIA series is composed of pieces that play with the eye. Recently in Brazil we are being inundated with fake news, atacks on democracy and free speech that flirt with fascism and authoritarianism to name a few. This series invites the viewer to focus their eyes, to look through the cracks, to zoom in and step back.
Materials:
Silver, PLA, acrylic, center-spot filter, lens
Céline Traynor
Country: Ireland
Website: www.celinetraynor.com
Title 'Pieces of 48'
A Brooch incorporating a Pendant and Ball Chain and 2 Rings
Artist Statement
“Thoroughly contemporary in style, my jewellery designs in silver and gold, polished and matt finish, reflect my love of pure shape and form appealing to those with a minimalist aesthetic. Although my jewellery might look abstract, the inspiration is down to earth.
Taking a studied, almost mathematical approach, I reduce forms to a balanced, geometric shape. The finished result is simple jewellery with a highly individual appearance. A favoured way of working is to design a link that lends itself to necklaces, pendants, bracelets, earrings, cufflinks. rings and brooches. I love solving the problems of how to connect, link, pin, hang. I enjoy working with a client to design a piece from conception to finish.”
Statement about the work:
Brooch Silver/Clear Perspex - 48mm x 48mm x 9mm
Pendant Silver/9ct Yellow Gold - 30mm x 21mm x 5mm + 21" 1.25mm Silver Ball Chain
2 Rings Silver/9ct Yellow Gold - 5mm wide
'Pieces of 48' is part of a collective body of work entitled FORM, relating to memories of the street where I grew up and that shaped who I am.
48 was the door number of our house in Canal Street, Newry, Co.Down and the number still resonates with me.
The componant parts of the brooch are separate pieces of jewellery and when each is slotted into the right compartment within the brooch they form the number 48. The overall brooch is shaped like a window, a reference to peering into the past.
Materials:
Silver/9ct Gold/Silver Ball Chain/Clear Perspex
Piercing/Soldering/Polishing/Matt Finishing
Artist Statement
The step made from jewelry wearer to jewelry creator was a coincidental one, but those who followed were made consciously, determined and committed. Each piece is a concrete expression of a fugitive thought and sets an intimate connection with its wearer. Various techniques are applied and different materials are used to reach this goal: cotton’s naturalness, the suppleness of fabrics, the tremendous potential of recyclables, the apparent coldness of the metal and resin. They all are factors that triggers the creative process. The idea of three-dimensionality is representative and also a fundamental element in the search process for the right formula to combine all these elements. The result, defined by shape and color, is only a milestone in personal search of self, mine and everyone.
Statement about the work:
The steps made towards tomorrow turn the unknown into known. Will, wishes, curiosity and aspirations motivates humanity to build paths through possible but not always probable realities. Knowledge is aquired, stored, processed and allowes us to evolve. Questions are answered and and new ones are emerging. How far can we get? Where are the limits? Are there any? Individuality and uniqueness influence each response and determine each action. Human's touch changes the world on his way through presumptions, assumptions and discoveries.
Materials:
Resin, thermochromic pigment (changes the hue at over 31 C degrees), false eyelashes, steel wire, rubber
Artist Statement
I am a Contemporary Art Jeweller based in Dublin, Ireland. My main art practice is focused on using jewellery to communicate mental health issues within society. However, I also create unique pieces of body adornments incorporating other subjects like Irish history and Literature Statement about the work:
The work I am submitting for the Collectibles & Curiosities Exhibition is a continuation of my research into the Irish Linen Industry which was started in July 2022 with the Re-Use + Re-Imagine Adornment Project. I wanted to continue and conclude that project by making jewellery that prominently featured the textures and patterns I found in the Lisburn Linen Museum. The large medallion piece has the pattern of flax seeds etched into the silver and on the enamelled centre piece. The second part is a collection of one-off sterling silver earrings, pendants and pins that incorporate the demask pattern plate that I also found in the Lisburn Linen Museum. These jewellery pieces continue the exploration of the history and culture of a once prominent industry in Northern Ireland. This jewellery will hopefully spark curiosity in both the viewer and wearer of this collection to explore the history of the Linen industry
Materials:
I used many processes in the creation of the work. The main material used is sterling silver. The processes were: acid etching, hydraulic press forming, 3d printing, soldering, chain making, enameling and setting.
Ebrahim Mohammadian Elird
Country: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Website: www.elird.com
Artist Statement
In my work, I am exploring life in every single way – from birth to death, with all the love, hate, happiness, sadness, excitement, good, bad, care, prosper, decline, lightness, darkness and numerous other conditions and situations that we all are exposed to during our lifetime. Getting to know thyself is the most important role of a human being. When we meet our real selves, we will be able to understand that we are much more than our name, ethnicity, skin colour, university degree etc. My jewellery designs tell stories about human beings, about their surroundings and how to become a best version of ourselves.
Statement about the work:
The three necklaces that I have submitted for the Collectibles & Curiosities exhibition are a part of the Arts and Crafts Collection. The Collection was inspired by the enlightening, yet incredibly up-to-date postulates of the Arts and Crafts movement from 19th century. The birth of Arts and Crafts movement in Britain marked the beginning of a change in the value society placed on how things were made. The concept was oriented on developing products that had more integrity, but are produced in less dehumanising way. Arts and crafts movement was oriented on raising both social and intellectual status of crafts, including ceramics, textiles, metalwork and furniture. William Morris, one of the most influential names within this movement, said that creating beautiful, well-made, useful objects, that allow makers to remain connected both with their product and with other people is the quintessence of Arts and Crafts philosophy. Members of this movement were against repetitive works in factories and were defending this opinion by stating that good design and quality production (manufacture) are leading to a good living. William Morris, was also inspired by the Victorian era’s leading art critic John Ruskin whose work had suggested a link between nation’s social health and the way in which its goods were produced. Therefore, the members of this movement were eager to spread the concept of changing people’s lives through a better system of production. It is very interesting how an idea from 19th century is still up-to-date today. Dehumanised jobs and repetitive tasks are, more than ever, part of the job market. In most of the countries working hours are beyond allowed and the expectations from workers are very high. This causes the increase of the stress level, which is a culprit for numerous modern diseases our civilisation is facing at the moment. This Collection is an attempt to draw attention to one of the most critical unsolved questions of our era. The world needs more arts and crafts in order to provide mentally healthy surroundings for the brighter future.
Materials:
Materials: Walnut wood, blood wood, coconut wood, fig wood, gold leaf, silver, iron, oil paint, acrylic paint, enamel, glass, clay, cord, jade, agate, hematite
Eva Lynch
Country: Ireland
Website: www.evalynchdesign.com
Title
Mrs Bain-Ryan's Copper Roof, Reclaimed Brass Rod, Dublin Deer Antler
Artist Statement
I am an artist with a background in silversmithing and jewellery. My work explores the concept that through our hands we connect to the nature within and without. Using ancient hammer techniques I explore the possibility that the subconscious mind is activated through repetitive hammering and other processes that engage the hands in mindful activity. The biography of an object extends long before and long after its creation. My process-led works highlight the impact of the object’s journey, questioning our relationship to material things and the natural world. With kinetic pieces I aspire to transfer the therapeutic qualities that I experience whilst making, to the user. My work proposes that the future of humanity is literally in our hands.
Statement about the work:
Inspired by my belief that the preservation of hand-skills is the preservation of humanity, Anthropoware IV archives the ancient hammer techniques and tools used to create an Iron Age ribbon torc. The complex ribbon torc process was rediscovered following decades of enquiry by American goldsmith Michael Good and Irish silversmith Brian Clarke who realised that deer antlers were the tools used to form these works in antiquity. My work seeks to create a contemporary context for these skills that rely on the human hand for their survival. Working with repetitive hammer processes such as these induces the flow state readily. The opportunity for this connection of hands and heart is becoming more elusive as the age of convenience and technological advancements threaten not only the skills of the craftsman but the everyday rituals of the hands. As the work of the hands lessens the distance between us and the resources we consume grows. By the end of the twentieth century humans will have moved as much rock and sediment in 150 years as we did in the preceding five millennia. Our passive consumption and disposal has resulted in man's imprint being visible in the geological strata of the earths’ crust. Anthropoware proposes a reconnection to the nature within and without through the hands.
Artist Statement
Lynne Speake is a multi disciplinary artist living and working in Cornwall. She works across sculpture, ceramics, photography, written word, installation and her work is always organically driven by her selected materials. Originally a painter Lynne has a passion for colour, texture and pattern. She is fascinated and inspired on a daily basis by the peeling paint and the rusting metal that she finds all around her and especially when out walking her dogs.
In terms of Art Jewellery, Lynne creates predominantly large wearable sculptures, assemblages of found and gifted treasures sourced from Cornish boatyards, beaches and woodlands.
'Through the things that I make with the things that I find I aim to gently invite people to think about the environmental impact of what they throw away ... hidden works of art just waiting to be discovered, a hidden beauty within these often unnoticed treasures. Things discarded by man and shaped by mother nature's elements'.
Statement about the work:
All elements of wearable sculptures chosen have been found or gifted ... often recycled from un-ordinary sources I look at what seems to want to go together ... I let the materials choose who they want to be with ... I then assemble, solder, fasten and fix until what emerges is what has chosen to be ... my materials always dictate the final form
Materials:
Assemblages of found and gifted treasures, put together using traditional jewellery making techniques with nontraditional materials.
