The challenge for the 21st century jeweller is to create pieces that still evoke a sense of wonder or surprise. 'Made in London: Jewellery Now', at the Museum of London, exhibits a new generation of jewellery designers conquering contemporary jewellery. The exhibition, which runs alongside 'Cheapside Hoard: London's Lost Jewels', featuring Elizabethan and Jacobean jewels and gemstones, affirms that jewellery today can be just as captivating and powerful as it was 400 years ago.
Co-curated by the museum's senior fashion curator, Beatrice Behlen, and fashion editor Agata Belcen, the exhibition places the work of seven designers in the context of the workspace, showing how each designer interacts with his or her environment. 'We tried not only to show the jewellery, but also the jeweller's world, to put their designs in context, showing how they work and what inspires them,' says Belhen.
The designers – Jordan Aksill, Imogen Belfield, Rachel Boston, Duffy, Husam el Odeh, Noemi Klein and Frances Wadsworth-Jones – prove that contemporary jewellery is about so much more than aesthetics. From the humorous to the macabre, their designs share a studious curiosity of nature and transformation.
The humble exhibition space is tucked neatly into a dark corner and lets the mise en scène do the talking. Spot-lit vitrines reveal the jewellery in ways unique to each exhibitor. From one wall hangs a photograph of Sir Henry Hayelock's soiled statue in Trafalgar Square. One of the pigeon droppings is represented by Frances Wadsworth-Jones' Heaven Sent brooch, made with sapphires and tourmaline. At the centre of the room stands a traditional crystal display case filled with organically shaped jewellery by Imogen Belfield.
Husam el Odeh gives us a glimpse into his studio by setting up his desk and exhibiting his tools. 'I get bored easily in museums, so I wanted to create a display that really got people intrigued. Every time you look, you discover something new. Looking at the display makes me want to sit down and do some work, because this is actually part of my studio.'
Australian-born jeweller Jordan Askill worked with the curators to create three vignettes from three different collections with corresponding film sequences. He says: 'The idea for my work is to create pieces from found objects that have a history and are given this historical museum feel, so it was an honour for me to have them put here in the context of the Museum of London.'
Husam el Odeh has replicated part of his studio to provide insight into how he works
El Odeh's Cracked Watch Cuff exemplifies the designer's ability to transform everyday objects into works of art
On an image of Sir Henry Hayelock's statue in Trafalgar Square, Frances Wadworth-Jones' Heaven Sent sapphire-and-tourmaline brooch resembles a drop of good luck. Beside each display is a quote from the jeweller, expressing what drives him or her to create
Noemi Klein replicates nature in her jewellery. This statement ring incorporates crab legs that extend out, forming a fountain shape
Klein's playful approach to animal anatomy is evident in her taxidermy bird with cast rings for feet
Imogen Belfield's jewellery is derived from organic forms like crystals and bubbles. Interspersed in her display are small sketches that show how the designer fosters her ideas
Belfield's square ring seems to have emerged from the ground. The free shapes of her jewellery give her designs a natural aesthetic
Jordan Askill creates portable 'mini-sculpture' jewellery. Each piece displayed at 'Made in London' was featured alongside a corresponding film, directed by his brothers Daniel and Lorin
The Battle Cat Cuff by Askill repeats a 3D shape, creating an unrecognisable yet wearable creation. He uses the latest 3D printing technology to cement his role as a 21st century jeweller
Before the exhibition, Duffy visted his family home to collect objects from his childhood that he believes shaped how he designs today
His cast work is bold, graphic and connected to the nature that surrounds him
A study in human anatomy, Rachel Boston's ear cuff resembles a human spine
Boston installs her pieces with the utmost precision. Pieces from her Beetle collection sit within a wooded diorama
ADDRESS
Museum of London
150 London Wall
London EC2Y 5HN
-
A celestial New York exhibition showcases Roman and Williams’ mastery of lightingLauded design studio Roman and Williams is exhibiting 100 variations of its lighting ‘family tree’ inside a historic Tribeca space
-
‘He immortalised the birth of the supermodel’: inside Dior’s career-spanning retrospective of photographer Peter LindberghOlivier Flaviano, curator and head of Paris’ La Galerie Dior, talks us through a new Peter Lindbergh retrospective, which celebrates the seminal German photographer’s longtime relationship with the French house
-
Take a bite: Laila Gohar and The Luxury Collection’s ‘Cakes & Candles’ are a sweet treat for the sensesLaila Gohar’s six cake-inspired candles draw on The Luxury Collection’s hotels around the world – where guests can enjoy matching edible confections
-
Eckhaus Latta explores consumption, desire and surveillance in solo New York exhibition -
Diller Scofidio + Renfro on the divine design of the MET’s ‘Heavenly Bodies’ exhibition -
T-shirt power: the London exhibition exploring the subversive sway of the slogan tee -
Seashell, steel, silk clay: a new generation of jewellers shows material worth -
Face off: Walter Van Beirendonck explores the marvel of masks -
La Maison Couture and Rock Vault link up at London Fashion Week -
Museo Salvatore Ferragamo lays bare the house’s artistic inspirations -
’So Far, So Goude’: Jean Paul Goude retrospective arrives in Milan
