Vicki Mason ✿ Canopy-In conversation with the Australian Design Centre, Vicki Mason describes the concern with the vandalisation of suburban trees that motivated her current work.
Bird, fish or somewhere in between-Sofia Björkman and Karin Roy Andersson together exhibit a series of works that animates discarded materials, re-forming nature out of detritus.
The Dirge and the Vital Heat-Nicole Polentas writes about a series of art objects that draw on Aristotle's theory of Vital Heat to reflect on life and death.
Ka Taka Te Wā – Time Passed-Areta Wilkinson creates jewellery imprinted with stones from her whenua among the braided rivers of Canterbury.
The Svord Peasant Knife: Thanks to “Heavenly Blue Sky”-Bryan Baker recounts the day a Czech master arrived at his door and passed on the secrets that would enable him to develop the knife that is sold by hundreds of thousands around the world.
Katheryn Leopoldseder: Ode to restoration-Marian Hosking introduces a jeweller who honours those who sustained the historic nunnery where she works, featuring a rosary for one of its restorers.
Paula Isola ✿ The words to wear it-Our April laurel goes to Argentinean jeweller, Paula Isola, for three brooches that weave a text of desire.
Inner Traces: A dance of three rings-Inner Traces is an elemental dance of metal and flesh. It was performed by Michaela Pegum using only her two hands adorned by three gold rings. She explains how this work came about and what she learnt from it.
When the land becomes a jewel-Yu-Fang Chi describes her Belgian residency when she applied her jewellery weaving technique to the land itself.
Eyes for Chile 👁️👁️ Ojos Para Chile-Liliana Ojeda and Aranda Feres Ojeda gather eyes and words to make visible the recent political oppression on the streets of Santiago.
Biomater: Life hanging by a thread-Catalina Mena reflects on the exhibition in Chile by Clarisa Menteguiaga, Liliana Ojeda, and Paulina Villalobos, which witnesses the beauty of decay in the gallery.
Juukan Tears Offcuts-In conversation with Tanya Lee, Melissa Cameron learns about the life of the jewellery pieces that were salvaged from her Juukan Tears installation, as a personal mourning for the loss of sacred Aboriginal heritage.
Tineke Van der Eecken ✿ In the flow-Koral Ward reflects on the flow of matter and form that brings together life and death in the work of Tineke Van der Eecken.
Jin ah Jo ✿ A pipeline to Buddha 🇰🇷-Jeweller Jin Ah Jo shares an intense lockdown journey that transformed infrastructure into adornment (with Korean text).
Gabbee Stolp ✿ Memories in flux-Sarah Stewart finds the work of Tasmanian jeweller Gabbee Stolp reflects the fleeting beauty that flows down the Derwent River.
Vicki Mason ✿ Wattle it be?-Vicki Mason has created a reversible necklace that activates the bounty of wattle blossom enjoyed across the world in sprinter (late winter, early spring).
Punk Rocks ✿ The Hope Pebble-Our August laurel goes to Objects of Mass Distraction, a Singapore collective whose series Punk Rocks features precious jewellery made from found materials
Senryu: Three little words make many objects-Sayumi Yokouchi, Mari Ishikawa and Mikiko Minewaki are inspired by the short Japanese poetry of Senryu to make beautiful jewellery.
Nature hooks-Jes John writes about earrings made by Jill Hermans for adorning yourself with a beautiful fallen leaf.
Atefe Sadat Mirsane ✿ Marquetry to wear-An Iranian jeweller makes precious adornment out of pieces leftover from the traditional wood mosaic craft of khatam.
Sitaben ✿ A narrative of courage-LOkesh Ghai profiles a bead artisan whose beautiful work reflects an epic commitment to her craft.
Sophie Carnell ✿ Gnat orchid-Our December laurel goes to a jeweller based in Bruny Island, Tasmania, for a silver sculpture inspired by the gnat orchid, whose elegant form clings to the land.
Māreikura: Exploring the goddess in Māori women-Neke Moa, adornment and object artist, describes how she explored the role and importance of wāhine (women) in the spiritual and physical world for her latest solo exhibition.
Cielo rojo (red sky)-Caco Honorato and Mariela Vicencio create fragile objects inspired by the poetry of broken wings.
¡Bravo Joya Brava!-Liliana Ojeda writes about the creation of an art guild in Chile that over ten years has given meaning to the art form of
Isolation jewels: A well-made life-Vicki Mason "makes" the most of her time during 14-day quarantine, showing how a garland can invite imagination and create joy.
Naga Kacip: A snake god at work-Linda S. McIntosh writes about the story told by the quintessential Southeast Asian implement, the kacip betel nut cutter.
Roseanne Bartley ✿ be in touch-Our August Laurel is awarded to artist-jeweller Roseanne Bartley for a process of making signal rings that embody common thoughts around our current condition.
How dolphins guided me to rescue a suicidal girl…-Maddalena Bearzi shares a remarkable story of a circle of dolphins who led her to rescue a drowning girl, which she commemorates now as jewellery.
New Zulu beads to be worn with pride-Mbuso Zondi's commitment to his Zulu culture is reflected in his project to create new beads that use more traditional materials that those imported in the past.
Urgent Adornment in South Africa-Beverley Price explains the creative principle of her expedited jewellery and how it is grounded in South African life.
A kirpan for bride power-Eina Ahluwalia reflects on the impact of her Wedding Vows collection that presented a powerful response to violence against women.
Bridget Kennedy ✿ A fragile beauty between the ashes-Our February Laurel goes to Sydney jeweller Bridget Kennedy, for a ring that reflects the tragedy that engulfs Australia in 2019-2020. The ring evokes the geometrical beauty of the beehive, while acknowledging the devastation wrought on the climate by use of fossil fuels.
Alice Whish ✿ Works from the Understory-Helen Wyatt describes some of the learnings revealed in the stunning new jewellery series by Alice Whish whose work was inspired by her Bundanon residency.
Gunybi Ganambarr ✿ Creative industrial-Aluminium mining has been seen as a threat to Yolŋu culture. In collaboration with Stephen Anthony, Gunybi Ganambarr uses this metal to express core values of his culture.
Carlier Makigawa ✿ Delirious in Uzbekistan-The Melbourne jeweller Carlier Makigawa was inspired by the Islamic architecture of Uzbekistan and produced necklaces that relfect a geometric intricacy of colour and form. Helen Britton adds her analysis of the work.
Zoë Veness ✿ Wayfaring-As our September Laurel, Zoë Veness applies the most delicate of muslin textile to hard metal and produces a texture of trails that weaves a landscape in brass.
Melissa Cameron ✿ Jewellery at our feet-The use of found materials can focus our minds on the world at our feet. Melissa Cameron's new work, Marfa TX, turns this moment into singular jewellery.
Philip Noakes ✿ Silver from the West-The history of West Australian jewellery is well served by Dorothy Erickson, who has just published another substantial book on one of its leading exponents.
Mehrnoosh Ganji ✿ Soul Star Pendant 📽️-A film by Mark Newbound captures the quiet focus and skill involved in the jewellery craft of Mehrnoosh Ganji. Soul Star Pendant reflects the spiritual values underlying its production.
Emily Beckley ✿ A romantic side of the Torres Strait-The Garland journey has coincided with the evolution of the Indigenous Jewellery Project. Emily McCulloch Childs writes about the solo exhibition by Emily Beckley, demonstrating the potential of this important project.
“Ea” the goddess of the goldsmiths (jewellers) in Mesopotamia-Iranian jewellers draw inspiration from the female goddess figures that constitute the complex palimpsest of Persian culture. Here Roohollah Shamsizadeh (Aria Gallery) writes about one goddess who has special relevance to jewellery.
Liliana Ojeda ✿ November laurel-The November laurel goes to Chilean jewellery artist, Liliana Oleada. Her bold work uses her facility with materials to imagine internal forms within our body, making beauty from our hidden life forms.
Why do Koreans use metal chopsticks?-Unlike other Asian cultures whose chopsticks are primarily made of wood, Korean chopsticks are made of metal. Why?
Bin Dixon Ward ✿ Adding digital to the jeweller’s bench-Melbourne jeweller Bin Dixon Ward is fascinated by the relationship between digital technology, jewellery and its maker. She discusses the development of 3D printed jewellery including her own work in this field.
Greybilly ✿ Opal for the anthropocene-While Australia has the world's richest opal deposits, its potential as an artistic medium has been relatively unexplored. An exhibition at Nishi Gallery curated by Yasmin Masri takes a sideways look at opal from a post-mining boom perspective.
Drawing Out the Gold – A Crown of Alfalfa by Katheryn Leopoldseder-The Melbourne jeweller Katheryn Leopoldseder manages to make epic statements out of personal adornment. Here she pays homage to a Mexican scientist was able to develop alfalfa as a non-toxic form of gold-mining.
Persian Renaissance continues…-Global art jewellery is undergoing a Renaissance as non-Western artists are using this modern medium to renew past layers of their culture. Two Iranian artists are at the forefront of this. A recent exhibition of Ailin Abrisham and Baharak Omidfar give presence to the ancient goddess Anahita.
Filming Mehrnoosh Ganji’s magnificent new work 📽️-Mehrnoosh Ganji was our garlandee for the Persian Prospect issue. Here Mark Newbound records the artist her self as she delicately dis-assembles and re-assembles her new work, Golestan Palace.
Behnaz Barabarian: Love in the Qajar period-The Qajar dynasty ruled Iran in the nineteenth century. Their Turkic culture created quite a distinctive style in decorative arts. It is one of the many periods that contemporary Iranian jewellers draw on today as part of their historical palette.
Fibre to metal: Mudlark Jilinbirri Metals from Carnarvon-Jilinbirri is the Yamatji word for an Australian bird, also known as the mudlark in Western Australia. It is the title of an exhibition by Yamatji fibre artists whose work was transformed into bronze.
Review of Use: Queensland contemporary jewellery, by Vivien Bedwell-Use addresses thematic connections jewellers have with their tools and the creations that follow through the extension of the body, further referencing the vital role fingers and hands play in each and every work in this exhibition.
Yuka Oyama: Helpers – Changing homes 🎞️-Yuka Oyama is producing a series of work "Helpers – Changing homes" in Wellington as part of a residency at Whiti o Rehua School of Art.
Jess Dare’s eternal bloom: Sydney’s Martin Place memorial-The Adelaide jeweller Jess Dare has just completed a commission for Sydney's Martin Place. This memorial for victims of the Lindt Cafe siege contains 210 individual flowers set in glass cubes embedded in the pavement. This provides a permanent version of the sea of flowers that flooded the square in the wake of the tragedy.
How to Make a Necklace from a Chair – Sarah Read-One of New Zealand's most interesting jewellers, Sarah Read has created a performance practice which explores the value of labour. In this project, she is stringing the polystyrene beads from a bean bag into an epic necklace form.
Quarterly essay: Embodied history 🎧-In the process of reconstructing the traditional midi necklace, Lisa Hilli finds a deeper understanding of her Tolai culture.
Pearls for the people in Fiji-Neke Moa writes about the project of Marama Shellcraft to provide livelihood for the people of Ba, Fiji.
I like reality. It doesn’t terrify me.-Kristin D'Agostino seeks to identify a common element behind the surface in Aotearoa artists working with disparate media.
Taurangi-Keri-Mei Zagrobelna writes about Taurangi, her jewellery work that embodies Māori values of honour.
Island Welcome-Belinda Newick introduces Island Welcome, where Australian jewellers created leis to reflect on the quality of welcome currently extended by their country to refugees.
He tupare o ka kupu (a garland of words) 🎧-Andrew Last reflects on his identity has an Australian manuhiri (guest) in the South Island of Aotearoa and how he has creatively responded to his new home.
One brooch, one ring: Beijing International Jewellery Art Exhibition by Jun Xie-With the global rise of China comes its growing cultural and artistic influence. The recent international exhibition of art jewellery in Beijing is testament to their ambition. This could be a positive force for the region's craft and design communities.
Xocolatlummm: Wearable chocolate from Colombia-Our friend Ana Berrio shares another remarkable project of Colombian street jewellery. For Joya Barcelona recently, she made a cart decorated in typical style and sold body ornaments made from chocolate for €10 each. Xocolatlummm included artists Titi Berrio, Alejandra Ferrer and Liliana Molina. Check the Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/p/BaFcytQlGQ8/?taken-by=xocolatlummm ✿ Like the article? Make it a conversation by leaving a comment below. If you believe in supporting a platform for culture-makers, consider becoming a subscriber.
The mysterious desert in new Persian jewellery-Putting on the jewellery that carries the nature of the desert, takes us to the journey to reach our inner jewel of silence, where we could sedately observe the truth of being. A new exhibition of jewellery from the region of Kerman gives unique expression to the mystical meaning of the desert in Persian culture. ✿ Like the article? Make it a conversation by leaving a comment below. If you believe in supporting a platform for culture-makers, consider becoming a subscriber.
Hellenic connections-Vicky Tsaconas considers the jewellers of Hellenic background that featured in Radiant Pavilion.
Julie Blyfield and Kirsten Coelho at Gallery Funaki-A collaboration between our inaugural garlandee Kirsten Coelho and Julie Blyfield transforms the humble archeological remnants of domestic life in South Australian mining towns. Source: Klimt02.net Ormolu by Julie Blyfield and Kirsten Coelho ✿ Like the article? Make it a conversation by leaving a comment below. If you believe in supporting a platform for culture-makers, consider becoming a subscriber.
Helen Wyatt: Life is revealed through layers-Helen Wyatt is a Sydney artist who first began making jewellery while studying Fine Arts at the University of Sydney in the 1970s. Mark Stiles spoke to her on the eve of her latest exhibition, Thresholds, at Studio 2017 Project Space, North Sydney
Complete me-Annie Gobel brings a collaborative Indonesian mindset to the Melbourne jewellery scene by offering "incomplete" pieces to willing partners.
Perhiasan = Jewellery-Elizabeth Shaw led an exchange involving Indonesian jewellers with diverse skills. She reveals a scene on the verge of formalisation, awaiting a national network and tertiary courses.
Jewellery for free-Vicki Mason discovers the power of jewellery as a currency to connect strangers together. She writes about her Broaching Change project and jewellery ventures done for love.
Jwahr: New Iranian and Persian Jewellery-This exhibition is a selection of work who have shown at Aria Gallery in Tehran. The work heralds a new generation of artists in the field of global art jewellery. Their work shows the capacity of jewellery to give personal meaning to lost traditions and stories.
Kate Hunter Remains-Sonja Anderson finds a Cairns jeweller who has returned home to celebrate the watery treasures offshore.
Making wood precious in Astana, Kazakhstan-As a participant in the Sheber Festival Astana (Kazakhstan 17-18 December 2016) and Artistic Jewellery Workshop, Martina Dempf gives us a rare glimpse of the creative life of Astana, Kazakhstan.
The road to Kilombu crosses many borders-Where is Kilombu? A Paraguayan-Brazilian artist living in Thailand collaborated with a Chinese ethnic silversmith to produce amulets for a special place in the world that embodies cultural freedom.
Form follows dysfunction-Arshad Faruqui and Sadia Salim created work for an exhibition of Koel Gallery, Pakistan, October 2016. Their objects transformed traditional forms into dysfunctional things in order to tell a political story.
Unapologetic: A perspective on contemporary jewellery in Pakistan-Sahir Bashir heralds the remarkable rise of contemporary jewellery in Pakistan, featuring atavistic Zohra Rahman, charming Amber Sami and committed Aiza Mahmood. Bashir places this emergence in the broader perspective of a vibrant cultural scene.
Persian soirée – 20 November 2pm-Garland invites you to a special event for wrap up our Persian Prospect issue. Enjoy an afternoon of Iranian/Persian culture, including a first-hand encounter with Mehrnoosh Ganji's magical jewellery, reflections from writer Sanaz Fotouhi about the pomegranate, a "faal" ritual of Persian poetry, discussion about the impact of Iranian culture in Australia, forthcoming projects and afternoon treats from the Moroccan Deli-cacy.
Quarterly essay – A pomegranate’s secret: The jewels of Mehrnoosh Ganji-I had read about Mehrnoosh Ganji. She was a young talented young Iranian woman who had migrated to Australia in 2012 and had continued her passion of becoming a jewellery designer. I had seen her work in pictures, and was looking forward to seeing her and the pieces physically to try and understand more.
A pomegranate’s secret: The jewels of Mehrnoosh Ganji-Sanaz Fotouhi meets Mehrnoosh Ganji, an Iranian migrant making jewellery in Melbourne, inspired by the architecture of Isfahan and the cultural identity she brought with her to a new land.
Place Matters: Mashhad – City of Turquoise-The first of the Place Matters series features Mashhad, the Silk Road city that is legendary for its turquoise, much appreciated by the 20 million tourists who visit every year. We hear how the story of a village donkey has inspired the creation of a new Silk Road for the 21st century.
Nature and beyond – the artistic fashion of Grace Lillian Lee-Australian artist and designer Grace Lillian Lee’s work is inspired by ‘prawn-weaving’, a craft technique central to her Torres Strait Islander heritage. Body Sculpture is her newest collection of work centered on the technique is at the Cairns Regional Gallery as part of the Cairns Indigenous Art Far 2016
Worn Land-Worn Land is a project by FORM Western Australia involving jewellers who traveled to the Pilbara in north-west Australia to create ornament inspired by their experience. We learn from Nicky Hepburn and Pennie Jagiello how they made meaning in a landscape that was sublime, but far from pristine.
In Ernabella, doors open for Aboriginal jewellery-An ambitious Australian project has recently emerged. The Indigenous Jewellery Project was initiated by Emily McCulloch Childs and to date has involved Melanie Katsalidis, Kate Rohde and Melinda Young. We learn from Emily about its origins, values, methods and future ambitions.
Chilean horsehair jewellery across the Pacific-Crin (horsehair) jewellery is idiomatic to Chilean culture. Trinidad Estay has taken this technique to the other side of the Pacific where it develops a close relationship to its equine origins.
Kazuri , a centre for bead trade in East Africa, by Martina Dempf- I am a jeweller and Social Anthropologist. My engagement in Africa began in 1978, when I was a volunteer at the Royal Crown Jewellers in Lesotho in southern Africa. In the 1980s I started research as a Social Anthropologist in East Africa, mainly in Sudan and Kenya. As a design consultant I conduct craft and design workshops in Africa, Asia and Europe since 1994. Jewellery, and in particular beadwork, has always been a medium of human adornment, but it has ever since been more than that. Until today, it is a means of social communication and a mirror of society. East Africa always had and still has a great bead culture, from the beginning of humankind. Before […]
Gate 8-Rule #2 - Like both kinds of music and be open to the other. In the first of a series about Workshops of the World, we look inside one of Adelaide's most productive workshops. What are the ten rules that help maintain order in their creative chaos?