Unexpected Pleasures

Unexpected Pleasures - At the Design Museum now – 03 March 2013
Unexpected Pleasures celebrates the work of contemporary jewellers who have challenged the conventions of jewellery design. The exhibition offers a survey of contemporary jewellery presented through a number of themes: Worn Out - celebrating the experience of wearing jewellery
Linking Links - looking at the ways in which meaning and narratives are expressed in jewellery and A Fine Line - offering insights into the origins of contemporary jewellery today, highlighting key instigators of the contemporary jewellery movement.

The exhibition features prominent UK and international jewellers including Wendy Ramshaw, renowned for her complex geometric designs, Hans Stofer's intricate wire form jewellery, Gijs Bakker’s conceptual adornments, delicate abstract pieces by Dorothea Pruhl and the wonderful Felieke Van Der Leest.

http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/2012/unexpected-pleasures

All Souls Ring (“Allerseelen”), Hans Stofer, 1994, Mild steel, welded, blackened and waxed. Glass (bottle bottom) and carved olive stone heads

Work as art: David Bielander's scampi bracelet; Hans Stofer's bracelet of pearls scattered on a bandage, Karl Fritsch's screw ring and Caroline Broadhead's Veil feature in the exhibition.

Ineke Otte

Ineke Otte is a designer/artist who designs a range of products, including tables, lamps, interior products, jewellery, shawls, sculptures, and objects in glass.
http://www.inekeotte.com/jewellery.html

Alina Jessipovich

Inspired by ‘Polly Pocket’ toys, "intrigued by the tiny world in my hand"... this fascination led Alina to develop jewellery that is a landscape of its own: something to play with, look at and imagine things about, right on your finger.  Inspiration comes from big cities, densely populated areas, and urban skylines.  Made from small, found objects when grouped together, they form cities of their own. Her jewellery gives these discarded objects new lives and new meanings.

Alina Jessipovich studied BA in Jewellery Design at Middlesex and is based in London.

Delfina Delettrez

Delfina Delettrez,  a member of the Fendi family, made her current range in Italy.  It consists of strange and humorous pieces and uses semiprecious and precious stones, ceramics and Italian marbles and other organic materials.  Some are built upon ideas of the human body, death's heads, insects and flowers. 

Annette Dickow

Annette Dickow graduated as a goldsmith in 2002, and as a precious metal designer from The Institute of Fine Metals, Denmark in 2005.
Her work ranges from "one of a kind" pieces for exhibitions to small collections. The jewellery is often created on the basis of small stories that originate from a curiosity for and reflection on human ties, exchanges and values. She enjoys placing humorous twists in her work.

http://www.annettedickow.dk/

Tobias Alm

Tobias Alm was born 1985 in Stockholm, Sweden and studied jewellery design at Ädellab, Konstfack. He graduated in 2009, and since then has been working in a workshop/studio in Liljeholmen, central Stockholm.
Tobias works mostly in jewellery art, but his work extends to sculpture. Currently he is working on a series of sculptures that will soon be exhibited in Vevring, Norway. Last summer Tobias Alm launched a new series of jewellery, that will be exhibited in a series of solo shows in 2012.

http://www.tobiasalm.com/

“My creative process has lately not been much about words or concepts. It often starts with exploring a shape or a material, which starts a flow of creation and research.
I am fascinated by improvisational methods, and believe in their power to take me the places a linear logic process cannot.
In my work I materialize experiences. I pick up features from things that surround me, and let them get reshaped and combined in interesting ways.
In previous work I have been interested in things such as organic structures and contrasting combinations. Lately it seems like I am fabricating a history, giving the objects traces of experiences from the past. I’m investigating how shapes can show traces of diffuse functions and history.”
Tobias Alm June 2011

Sevan Bicakci - 'Lord of the Rings'

Sevan Bicakci's 'Namesake' collection incorporates hand-crafted Turkish architectural miniatures, and underwater sea creatures like snails, lobsters and octopus.
Born and raised in Turkey, one of a kind jewellery designer Sevan has been a bench jeweller for over twenty years, beginning his training at just 12 years of age. Each piece is handcrafted from 24K, 18K yellow and rose gold, sterling silver with uniquely cut gemstones and antique cut diamonds. His work is inspired by the Blue Mosque from 17th century, the 6th century Hagia Sophia Church, the Topkapi Palace from 15th century and many childhood memories.

www.sevanbicakci.com

and a video to watch about visiting Sevan's workshop in Istanbul: https://vimeo.com/24615631

Zoe Arnold

Zoe Arnold trained at Central St Martins, graduating in 2003.  She started as a sculptor and this influence can be recognised in her jewellery, or 'wearable forms of art'.  It is a cross between jewellery and miniature sculptures, and she resists the temptation to be labelled and categorised, often producing jewellery accompanied by other pieces.  In addition to using precious metals and gem stones she also collects objects and her work can be accompanied by, for example, a limited edition book of poetry which she has written as part of the process of making her work.

Zoe Arnold also makes 'precious automata', (left, 'The Children & The Golden Tree' inspired by stories and created in precious materials.
http://www.zoearnold.com/

Alex Monroe

For those of you that like natural forms, Alex Monroe offers much to be desired.  Alex grew up in Suffolk surrounded by fields, rivers, plants and creatures and nature is his inspiration.  His jewellery is stocked around the world, and shops in London include Harrods and Liberty.  He continues to hand make everything, and some of his designs are, for example, a juicy pear, a bumble bee, a dragonfly, and a fox.  He also designed and made a silver mouse and tea cup ring and a Goring shrimp.

http://www.alexmonroe.com/

marc gassier

Continuing with the theme of skulls, Marc Gassier is a French sculptor, and a goldsmith who makes jewellery. He lives and works in Paris.

Have a look at his work here: http://www.marcgassier.fr/index.html