China - UCA Collaboration Exhibition
At the Crafts Study Centre from 24th May - 9th June
The project started when four staff members of the jewellery course the Gemmology Institue of China, part of the China University of Geosciences visited Farnham in late 2011. The University for the Creative Arts and the Gemmology Institute aim to make links to enable exchanges and collaborative projects for staff and students studying and working on their undergraduate and postgraduate programs.
The exhibition understandably titled 'Collaboration' is displaying the work from the jewellery and metalwork students from both Universities that have just completed stage two of their courses. The students have been communicating via e-mail and Skype, enabling them to get a little feel of how each other work and develop.
This is the first collaborative project between the two Universities and the Crafts study Centre has agreed to host the show on the run up and during the same time the University for the Creative Arts is running its College show for final year undergraduate students.
The work will be transported back to China during the summer break and will arrive in time to be exhibited for Gemmology Institue of Chinas 20th Anniversary at the end of October
'This was a fabulous and challenging experience for students from two different cultures to work together, communicate their ideas and share some thoughts. It has been a challenge with language and time difference, as well as other factors, but now to have all the work together gives an inspiring and interesting collection for an exhibition, all student participants should be proud'.
Rebecca Skeels, Senior Tutor, Jewellery and Metalwork Specialism, University for the Creative Arts.
'It is the first time for us to have a collaborative art project with students from other country. By communication and the exchange of photos with young artists from UCA, we have seen different aesthetic preferences and skill sets, varying art making approaches, which provides us a wonderful multicultural art experience. It is also a good opportunity for our students to experiment with the concept of "The New Jewelry", which was rarely known by Chinese people until the late of 1990s'.
Shuyu Wu, Gemmology Institute of China, China University of Geosciences.
Many thanks for the support and efforts of Shuyu Wu from The University in China and Susan Campbell and Ingrid Stocker from the Crafts Study Centre.
Participating Artists - University for the Creative Arts
Eden Silver-Myer - In my current work I am exploring my interest in Greek Mythology, and finding ways to illustrate the different myths as wearable pieces of jewellery. The stories intrigue me - the anthropomorphised gods, the macabre events and settings, and the number of different ways there are to look at and understand it all. Daphne is a narrative of the story of Daphne and Apollo, where the nymph is transformed into a laurel tree to escape being caught by the god. It is a one off piece made by lost wax casting.
Jessica Bean - 'Cell Clusters' I am a jewellery and metalwork designer/maker. Currently I am in my 2nd year of my degree studying 3D Design (metalwork and Jewellery.) My inspiration for this collection of work came from cell reproduction and microscopic images. Each tile represents a cluster of cells. Within this collection I worked with glass for the first time, I have always enjoyed combining 2 or more materials in my work and think the glass contrasts brilliantly with the bronze and pewter pieces. Working with glass was a very enjoyable experience and I look forward to developing my collection further.
Anthony Doble - A lot of my work this year has become focused around developing a personal style of work, composed of linear contours and attempting to generate a cohesive aesthetic with natural forms. The two pieces I have chosen to exhibit concern different ends of a spectrum. The first piece "Intelligence Without Ambition, is a Bird Without Wings" was made to symbolize the structural elements of the human skeletal system and the ides of wings growing out of the spine to signify freedom and the power of ambition. The second piece, a functional outdoor furniture item called "throne of Artemis", inspired by the Greek goddess of the wilderness, aims to tackle and represent the structures and compositions of shapes we find in plant life and their similarities to the skeletal anatomy. By really thinking about the gracefulness and serenity of natural forms. My medium of choice is generally mild steel and when working the metal, texture has become an important consideration in my work. I love the tactile, flowing qualities that I am able to express through what is commonly believed to be such an unforgiving material. Often I find myself trying to test the limits and capabilities of the material in order to produce something truly unique.
Arlette McLean - Originally a trained nurse, Arlette has now fulfilled a long held wish of working with metals and jewellery. Her nursing roots have fuelled her interest in life, growth and survival, which has transferred to her explorations of nature. Inspired by the juxtaposition of the splendour and rawness of nature, Arlette explores the life-force of plants and trees in both jewellery and everyday objects. Her forged metalwork pieces show their strength and fragility whilst providing elegance of form. Her choice of metal illustrates the diversity of life.
Tracy Hills - In 2007, after 25 years of travelling the world as a professional musician on board cruise ships, Tracy started making costume jewellery and millinery which she sells from her website - Midnight Rose Creations. Her costume jewellery has appeared in magazines such as Beads and Beyond and Bead Magazine. In 2008 she undertook a 6 week silver jewellery course. After the first firing of the torch, she was utterly and truly hooked. A few more short courses followed; and within a year, she had started a BA (hons) degree in 3 Dimensional Design in Metalwork and Jewellery. She is currently in her 3rd year of a 5 year part-time degree course. With a love of all things dark, her inspirations are varied; fairy tales, fantasy, nature, gothic, history; they all find their way into her jewellery. With such an eclectic mix of inspirations; bird skulls sit comfortably next to lace and lichen. Two of her designs have recently been shortlisted for the Pewter Live 2012 competition. She recently had her first exhibition 'The Journey' at the James Hockey Gallery, University for the Creative Arts, Farnham.
Alex Goodrick - "I found I could say things with colour and shapes that I couldn't say in any other way - things I had no words for." Georgia O'Keefe, 1926 My first source of inspiration for this project came from a photograph of a scanned electron microscope (SEM) view of a beetle. The SEM photograph emphasizes the shape and outlines that make up the form of the beetle and it was this view from which I saw possibilities for a piece. My interest in fashion and geometric form steered me to design a large neckpiece using titanium. Titanium is a very hard, light material as is the shell of a beetle, protective and functional. I redrew the initial picture in different medias to explore the textures and shapes that completed the form. These drawings were dissected to arrange and rearrange to find the form of my piece. I also studied the colours of the SEM photograph that although artificially added and not true to life I found leant themselves to the colours achievable with anodised titanium. The blues and purples achieved when anodising titanium were alike to the actual beetle wings and shared similar texture and qualities. Using a digital engraver on specific areas highlighted them and achieved texture.
Bo Behan - Each piece I create is imbued with meaning; whether the final pieces are functional or sculptural I explore more than the textural and organic form of my subject. The exhibition pieces resonate the uncanny pairing of the crocodile and plover bird, their relationship and symbiotic bond has influenced and inspired the etchings on copper and silver cast jewellery pieces.
Krista Thomson - Krista is a mature student and working mum from Cobham, Surrey. Her work is hand-crafted using piercing, doming, lost wax casting, RT blanking, stone setting and resin techniques. Her 'Petal' collection was inspired by a trip to Wisley Gardens and in particular, the flower Lithophrogma Parviflorum, whose petals have been used in different ways to make earrings, two pendants and a bracelet as part of her 'duplication' project. Her 'Cereal' collection started life when Krista was inspired by her father's microscopy pictures of fungal spores. The shape of some of the individual cells within the spores reminded her of butter beans. When hunting for these within her kitchen she came across Cheerios (which reminded her of blood cells) and Cornflakes, with their wonderful texture. The beans have now been put on the back burner whilst Krista plays with making crop circle necklaces! It is amazing what can be produced from cereal crops other than the usual culinary fare!
Participating Artists - The Gemmology Institute of China
Zhao Pu - Mirror of Dreams II,
7.48*4.92*1.37 inches
titanium, sterling silver,mirror.
If there is a mirror can carry your dream...
If you become the leading role of your dream...
If the dream could touched and shared...
Ding Ling - My bean sprouts dream,
24.4*14.3*36.2 inches
Cloth, resin, sterling silver, brass
The work is inspired by a nightmare of bean sprouts in my childhood. When I review the dream after tens of years, I wonder what the world in my eyes is at that time.
Fang Xiu - Incoming lives,*
silicon oval: 4.72*5.71 inches
Wooden bracket 19.68*5.91 inches
The light signifies life, expressing the unknown, magical feeling of giving birth.
Huang Yuzhu - In Company,
Concrete, sterling silver
4.3x2.6x0.5 inches
Camouflage in love
Love is divided into four stages which are: Secret admiring, Pursuit, In company and Commitment. In these four stages, we will hide our true thoughts.....disguise us to play the perfect role in love.
Song Jian -Untitled
Resin, sterling silver, cloth; 3.85x0.58 inches diameter, vertically installed.
I invite and integrate used materials, such as leftovers of cloth or broken cloth, dried plants and glass tube into my jewellery pieces. This series of pendants and brooches made by resin, sterling silver and found materials witht he form of chemical test tubes, demonstrate my esperiments with castings and mold making.
Dai Ling -Chopsticks Objects
2x2 x 0.6 inches (each)
resin 9.5 x 0.4 inches (each)
wood chopsticks, sterling silver, resin, found objects
We were born to be separate ones, just connected by some people, or some things. Pursuing wealth, competing against others, growing up together, and interacting on each other ... At last, only memories left.
Jin Yuan-zhi - A Clockwork Orange
approx. 12 x 6.4 x 4.8 inches
Brass; soldering, riveting
Man works like a clockwork, driven by too much things: the old ideas, judging eyes from the others, the expectations of the eldfer generation. But if there is no right to choose we are just "A Clockwork Orange".
Ning Yilu - Red Lines
felt sterling silver
14.6 x 1.2 inches
It's says in old Chinese legends: lovers are connected by a red line.
Li Lei - Childhood
Sterling silver, fine silver, glass; filigree
2.95*1.7780.39 inches
A funny baby face carries the memories of my childhood, so innocent and carefree. I am dwelling with the lovely Chinese doll of the memory.
Wang Xiaomei -Gift 1
Silver, Jacquard Cloth and pearl
Flat size: Length 2.76, Height 2, Thickness 0.03 inches
Folded size: Length 1.42, Height 2, Thickness 0.16 inches
With the decoration of Chinese cheongsam and Chinese button, the peony seems tender and more beautiful.
Wu Xi - Couple bracelet
Satin, sterling silver, resin, paper
29.5 inches long
Designed inspired by the ancient Chinese traditional wedding hydrangea, this jewellery is a bracelet, the red satin wrapped around the arm like a long way of love. And finally they get married.