Our Handmade Jewellery Collaboration …
The last time I blogged I was so excited to tell you about Munich Jewellery week and my jewellery collaboration with the wonderful designer Sally Collins. I didn’t want to leave it any longer to reveal the pieces that we designed and made together, which we exhibited as part of Crash Bang Wallop in Munich. So these are what we were busily making behinds the scenes …
The Collaboration Details …
“Superfrilly Saloukee, the first-time creative collision of two jewellery designers, coming together to explore their practice in collaborative form. To learn from one another and challenge each other’s’ boundaries in material, in making and in minds. Oversized forms, neon ombre and juxtaposition of materials and forms which aim to SHOUT OUT LOUD and explore the boundary if jewellery and fashion.”
A chunky oversized bib necklace and oversized loop earrings – gorgeous brushed gold metal geometry teamed with intricate woven paper yarn.
How we went about our jewellery collaboration …
This was an interesting collaboration for both of us … especially seems as both of us were moving to new homes at the time … Sally to a completely new country! We found ways to both push each other boundaries and ultimately come up with outcomes that were both representative of each of our practices, yet still a strive forward in terms of our comfort zones. The most difficult aspect was ensuring that the contrasting materials came together visually in a harmonious way and technically were practically resolved and wearable.
It was a challenging juggle which included as many face-to-face meet ups as possible, lots of communication via telephone and sending samples and jewellery pieces to and from each other so we could both work individually on our making parts. Sally making the hexagonal gold metal parts and I, the neon dyed woven paper sections.
Displaying the jewellery …
The wonderful Sally was not only moving to new countries and a new job but she was also curating the Crash Bang Wallop exhibition that the jewellery was destined for. This meant that both herself and the other curator Sabine Roth of the exhibition were in charge of displaying our work along with the work of 18 other designers (students and staff) from the School Of Jewellery, Birmingham. They did a wonderful job of displaying the work on jewellers’ skins and bench pegs, all transported to Munich in a suitcase along with the work!
It was brilliant to be able to see the exhibition in the flesh, the standard of work was wonderful and it’s been reported back that there was some brilliant feedback from jewellery enthusiasts who came to take a look at the work.
My Munich Jewellery week Experience …
It was my first visit to Munich Jewellery Week and I have to say I had a brilliant few days there. There was so much to see and some serious mileage to cover to get to all of the brilliant showcases. Though I’m sad to say I didn’t get to see them all, the ones I did see were amazingly inspiring. I would recommend anyone with a passion for jewellery to visit if they get the chance, the week long event is jam packed with inspiration! My highlight? … Meeting the wonderful Ruudt Peters and treating myself to one of his very special unique ‘Bron’ pins. What a brilliantly eccentric man, full of thinking and entrepreneurship, a pleasure to be in the company of.
Signing off until next time… x