
Redazione
Stephen Bottomley
UK
Professor Stephen Bottomley is the Head of the School of Design at Glasgow School of Art. Previously he has led the schools of Jewellery and Fashion and Textiles at Birmingham City University (2017-2021) and department of Jewellery and Silversmithing at Edinburgh College of Art (2008-17), as well as teaching at a range of other Universities for over thirty years.
A contemporary jeweller, his work is in the National Museums of Scotland, the British Museum and the Cominelli Foundation Collection, Italy. His work combines the ancient techniques of jewellery making with evolving and contemporary materials and technologies. Materials include vitreous enamel jewellery combined with metals and other industrial. Inspiration comes from the rhythm and patterns found in oriental motifs and mathematical geometry through layers of embossed repetitive patterns and textures.
Bottomley has curated exhibitions and inter-disciplinary projects in Chicago, Lake Garda, Beijing, Shanghai and Munich. A past chairman of the Association for Contemporary Jewellery (2005-07) he was proud to be connected to the AGC when it was founded. Bottomley is a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths since 2017.
Pilar Viedma
Spain
Being a pharmacist and a food safety technician by profession my relationship with jewelry began by chance looking for a way to develop my creativity and my interest in art.
This is how I have found in artistic jewelry a new way of contemplating the forms that I find in nature and in my dreams, but also in the stories that inspire me.
I experiment with colors, textures and materials looking for artistic compositions to tell stories.
Therefore, once I graduated in jewelry from the Valencia High School of Art and Design (EASD), envolving myself into this world is being an exciting journey in which feelings, sensations and experiences are transformed into portable works of art with the intention of highlight the ability to communicate of the
contemporary artisan jewelry. An adventure I don't want to get out of.
Alice Biolo
Italy
Hailing from Italy, Alice started her study in Jewellery design at the Liceo Pietro Selvatico in Padova. After her diploma she moved to the UK, initially in England and later in Scotland, where she further pursued the Silversmithing and Jewellery design course at the Glasgow School of Art, graduating with a BA (hons) in June 2023. Alice has been exploring the theme of pain and trauma through her collections for the past year to spread awareness about mental health and open a conversation with the public, with the aim of normalised human emotions. Over the years she took part in competitions and exhibitions in Europe, in the United Kingdom, and internationally.
Dialogues Italy-Japan
This project began to develop in December 2012, in Tokyo, during the meeting of the two Chairmen of AGC and JJDA who, by mutual agreement, decided to initiate the enterprise in 2015, the year that marks the 50th anniversary of JJDA and the 10th anniversary since the foundation of AGC.
So Dialogues among the members of the two associations began with each artist sending his counterpart an image related to the artistic culture of his/her own country, as inspiration material for the creation of a piece of jewellery, establishing that, at the end of the exhibition, the participants would donate the piece to the Japanese/Italian colleague and vice-versa.
The exhibition at the Institute of Culture in Tokyo, from 3rd to 11th July 2015, was made possible thanks to the cooperation of many friends and members of the two associations, and above all, to the hospitality of the Director of the Italian Cultural Institute, Mr. Giorgio Amitrano.
Opening ceremony: Friday 3 July, from 4pm to 6pm
On Saturday 11th July, the exhibition ends at 4pm
Opening exhibition in Tokyo at the Italian Cultural Institute, 3 July - 11 July 2015:
Greetings from the Director Giorgio Amitrano
Exhibition "Dialogues" at the Italian Cultural Institute in Tokyo
jewels on display at the Italian Cultural Institute in Tokyo
IIC Tokyo - Italian Cultural Institute, designed by Italian architect Gae Aulenti (1927-2012)
The exhibition will take place also in:
Kofu Prefectural Museum of Art (Yamanashi) at Main Residence Shiinoki , Ishikawa Prefecture, 19 – 28 September 2015
Museo Storia naturale del Mediterraneo, Livorno 4-11 Giugno 2016
Museo di Storia Naturale del mediterraneo
Museum of Livorno (Italy)
opening at Museum in Livorno
Fondazione Cominelli, Cisano di San Felice/B Salò (BS) 25 giugno- 24 luglio 2016
Oratorio di S. Rocco, Padova 24 settembre – 5 novembre 2016
the exhibition in Oratorio di San Rocco, Padova
from right side: Mirella Cisotto, Wanda Pellizzari (Comune Padova), Takako Komiya and Prof.ssa Maria Rosa Franzin
Presidente JJDA, Takako Komiya
Museo del Bijou di Casalmaggiore, 26 novembre – 15 gennaio 2017
Museo del Bijou di Casalmaggiore
AGC artist list:
Francesca ANTONELLO, Adrean BLOOMARD, Roberta BERNABEI, Patrizia BONATI, Anna Maria CARDILLO, Luisa CHIANDOTTO, Corrado DE MEO, Clara DEL PAPA, Elisabetta DUPRE’, Flavia FENAROLI, Anna FORNARI, Rita MARCANGELO, Maria Rosa FRANZIN, Nicoletta FRIGERIO, Lucilla GIOVANNINETTI, Angelo LOMUSCIO, Chiara LUCATO, Gigi MARIANI, Simona MATERI, Marco MINELLI, Paola MIRAI, NALJ Jewels, Eliana NEGRONI, Margareta NIEL, Tania PALAZZI, Liana PATTIHIS, Alessandra PASINI, Roberta PAVONE, Marco PICCIALI, Alba POLENGHI LISCA, Daniela REPETTO, Stefano ROSSI, Chiara SCARPITTI, Sergio SPIVACH, Stefano SPIVACH, Claudia STEINER, Yoko TAKIRAI, Silvia VALENTI, Barbara UDERZO, Gabi VEIT, Caterina ZANCA.
JJDA artist list:
FUJIMOTO Nahoko, HATANAKA Noriko, HIRAKAWA Fumie, ITO Satomi, KASHIHARA Erina, KOBARI Keiko KOBAYAKAWA Mariko, KOJIMA Takashi, MATSUURA Mineri, MISHIMA Itto, NAKAHARA Eiko, NAKAJIMA Nagi, NARUMI Taeko, OSHIMA Yayoi, SATO Yoko, SHIGETA Emiko, SHIRAO Yumi, SUGA Mario, SUMA Fumie, TAGUCHI Fumiki, TAKAGI Chisa, TAKANAKA Harumi, TANEZAWA Setsuko, TSUBOI Keiko, UCHIDA Yoshiko, UNNO Eriko, WASHIMI Nobuko, YAMAZAKI Sumiko, YASUGI Mayumi, YUKI Makiko, HIEDA Makoto, HIRAKO Koichi, KITADA Michie, KOMIYA Takako, NAGAI Yutaka, NISHIWAKI Nobuko, SAWAMOTO Masako, YOSHIDA Yuko, MIZUNO Kaoluko, KIYOTA Tomoaki.
This project, as well as the production of exhibition catalogues, will also include conferences in both countries; the theme The culture of the territory in Jewellery will highlight the analysis of the jewellery making in Italy and Japan with particular reference to historic gold and silversmithing, techniques, research and development of contemporary jewellery, with the participation of representatives of the Italian and Japanese jewellery culture.
Support for Italy- Municipalities of the hosting locations
Support for Japan - Institute of Italian Culture in Tokyo
AGCpunto.23 is coming soon!
AGCpunto.23, the association's annual event will be hosted for the entire month of August this year in Guardiagrele, thanks to the coordination of Roberta Pavone, AGC member in Abruzzo, a region in central Italy, between Adriatic sea and the Appennino mountains.
The event takes place in the context of the summer festival of the 53rd Artistic Craft Show and the general opening is scheduled for July 31st at 6 pm. The festival takes place at the Palazzo dell'Artigianato - Via Roma 28 , from 1 to 27 August. Opening hours: 10.30-12.30 and 15.00-22.00
AGCpoint.23 : sguardi femminili contemporanei (contemporary female focuses).
Our event, as an introduction to AGC Association, open to the public, will be held on August 1st at 9 pm with a talk on topics about our work and in dialogue with the theme proposed this year by the festival organization which is focused on the female universe. In the late afternoon of August 1st and/or in the
morning of August 2nd, for those who can join us, we plan to organize a networking aperitif reserved for members (details will be sent to all members shortly).
The exhibition setup is curated by Roberta Pavone, with the coordination of Eliana Negroni and the support of Chiara Scarpitti. In addition to the presence of the AGC board representatives, Roberta Bernabei and Corrado De Meo, we are happy to receive many members who have joined the initiative.
We are waiting for you all in Guardiagrele,
Happy summer from AGC!
Artists list:
Sara Barbanti, Roberta Bernabei, Margherita Berselli, Maura Biamonti, Alice Biolo, Adrean Bloomard, Rosa Borredá, Emanuele Cannoletta, Natalia Cellini, Luisa Cesira Chiandotto, Jeemin Jamie Chung, Lluís Comín, Roberta Consalvo Sances, Corrado De Meo, Adriana Del Duca, Clara Del Papa, Fluxis Mariangela Murgia | Alberto Catalano, Maria Rosa Franzin, Nicoletta Frigerio, Stefano Fronza, Lucilla Giovanninetti, Mari Ishikawa, Yukiko Kakimoto, Ji Young Kim, Letizia Maggio, Rita Marcangelo, Gigi Mariani, Mineri Matsuura, Judy McCaig, Francesca Mo, GianCarlo Montebello, Kazumi Nagano, Eliana Negroni con Patrick Davison, Sogand Nobahar, Liana Pattihis, Roberta Pavone, Marco Picciali, Sara Progressi, Anna Retico, Carla Riccoboni, Stefano Rossi, Chiara Scarpitti, Sílvia Serra Albaladejo, Claudia Steiner, Yoko Takirai | Pietro Pellitteri, Pilar Viedma, Yiota Vogli, Babette Von Dohnanyi, Caterina Zanca, Caterina Zucchi.
Following some works of the members on display:
work by Babette Von Dohnanyi
work by Stefano Fronza
work by Judy McCaig
work by Mariangela Murgia
work by Adriana Del Duca
work by Mari Ishikawa
work by Letizia Maggio
work by Pilar Viedma
work by Natalia Cellini
work by Gigi Mariani
work by Roberta Consalvo Sances
work by Rita Marcangelo
work by Giancarlo Montebello
Rosa Borredá
Spain
My work is born from an excessive passion for collecting. I love to compile systematically objects and curiosities and the process of selecting, storing and transforming them becomes a real obsession until they are worshiped as unique pieces.
All the objects have had an owner and a story before I use and transform them. I feel a strong passion for all the ancient.
My goal is to raise those found objects to another category and perpetuate them through time, combining the knowledge and experimenting with the materials.
I wish to embellish even the most insignificant fragments, creating something new and being able to transmit the feelings about them without losing its essence in order to perpetuate their lives.
About Fucina Orafa
Italia
About è: saperi manuali e cultura tra oreficeria artigianale, design, arte condivisione di idee ed imprenditorialità nel segno della sostenibilità.
About in pochi anni è diventato un riferimento professionale.
About è un luogo di lavoro, di scambio e di contaminazione tra le arti con un'impronta internazionale. Dialogare con il resto del mondo, portare da noi maestri orafi e nuove competenze, utili per affrontare il mondo del gioiello, è un nostro costante obbiettivo.
About è incontrarsi, scambiare idee, un luogo dove contaminare e contaminarsi nell’ accezione più positiva che questa parola può avere.
Mari Ishikawa
Giappone
The world we see is only a part of the entire reality which is composed of many worlds existing simultaneously, side by side.
Mari Ishikawa sees a parallel world through her everyday life and visualizes them as jewelry, giving us the opportunity to recognize the many moments we miss.
"If you don't try to see it, you won't see it; it's only when you try that you begin to see it.”
Babette Von Dohnanyi
Germany
To design jewellery means a never ending fascination.
To find new forms for the combination of color and material, to invent at the same time elegant and yet provocative solutions, is the great challenge in this process.
To achieve an optimal technical solution for this aesthetic aim in each individual piece I consider therefore as the core of my work.
Anatomy of decisions
From 23/06/2023 to 25/07/2023 at the "Beita – House of Art and the City" in Jerusalem in Israel will be held the exhibition of contemporary jewelry the Anatomy of decisions, conceived and curated by our partner Ariel Lavian.
Lavian says: "This exhibition delves into the complex and deeply personal relationship between individuals and their bodies, emphasizing the fundamental right to autonomy and self-determination about the choices they make regarding it.
This principle recognizes that each person has the right to make decisions about their body without external interference or judgment. It encompasses a wide range of personal choices, including but not limited to reproductive health, medical procedures, physical appearance, and lifestyle choices."
to learn more about the text see Press Release below
Featuring Artists:
Yiota Vogli
Selina yang
Saskia Tosaint
Nicole Deuster
Madalina Spiridon
Ho Oi Ying Valerie
Dimitra Trikka
Dian Chen
Chu Winnie Cheung
Adi Harush
Names of presenting students:
Hazel Henderson
Sam Hey
Lyra Geddes
Joseph ONeill
Sarah Reid
Finlay McLeod
Connie Dickie