Interviews

Dutch jeweler Beppe Kessler took some time out of her visit to Thailand to answer questions for AJF about her work, and specifically about the work in the current show at ATTA Gallery in Bangkok, Thailand. She expresses what a lot of jewelers think about making work with her hands more than her head, and how that translates to her jewelry and painting.

Currently, Thailand is experiencing protests against the government, and I asked Atty Tantivit, the owner of ATTA about it. This is a contrast to this interview, but I thought it was important to note Atty’s response.

“Though corruption is known in Thailand, this is the first time that the people have taken it to centerstage and marched against it, including the corrupted government. The situation is mostly peaceful. There have been some incidents of violence against the protesters by “unknown” attackers, and so far there are about 10 casualties. The protesters occupied the central part of Bangkok. Unless they march the streets asking for support along various roads in Bangkok, we at ATTA Gallery do not feel any disruption.

Pray for us. We need your understanding and support. We are fun- loving, peaceful people. But, when there’s a need for us to fight for what is right, we will not stop short of it. I continue to open the gallery as I think that I owe it to the artists to present their work to the best of my ability. I also think that, at time like this, we could use art to heal our souls. What we have at ATTA Gallery could give people a bit of an uplifted feeling during this tough time.” Atty Tantivit

Our best wishes go with you Atty.

Christine Matthias, a graduate from Burg Giebichenstein in Halle, has shown at Galerie Marzee for a number of years and is exhibiting there now. Her new work is similar to the past but with patterns of stonework on the minimal forms. The work is strong and reflects the place it comes from, which Christine describes as a “straight and honest” place. 

Susan Cummins: Christine, please tell the story of your background and how you knew you wanted to make jewelry.

Christine Matthias: It was only after completing a commercial apprenticeship and studying interior design in Hanover that I took up my studies at Burg Giebichenstein´s jewelry department. During my studies in Hanover, I got interested in jewelry making and started to learn some of the necessary skills. I spent a semester at the Politecnico in Milan and finally completed my interior design studies with a diploma, but I already knew that I would do something different. I wasn’t interested in furnishing medical offices or fair stalls.

I drew a lot during that period, and so that was my preparation for studying in Halle. I didn’t want to just design things. I wanted to be involved in making them. For me, making jewelry combines the artistic process with a very precise and concentrated sort of work. I enjoy being independent in what I do, and I find it important that everything is in my hands from the first idea to the finished piece.

We have added a new gallery to our community from Wellington, New Zealand. Quoil Gallery, opened by Belinda Hager in 1997, shows only New Zealand jewelers. Phillipa Gee took over the management and ownership in 2007, and today the gallery represents about 37 jewelers from all levels of achievement. The recent show Kohatu by Keri-Mei Zagrobelna reveals the connections this artist has with her Maori background.

Susan Cummins: How did you discover you wanted to make jewelry?

Keri-Mei Zagrobelna: I am not sure if I discovered that I wanted to be a jeweler, or if jewelry discovered me. Growing up in an environment of artifact, object, and art, it seemed normal that I should naturally fall into it. I spent a while in my youth travelling throughout New Zealand and dabbling in art and craft, but I avoided taking it seriously due to a lack of confidence and courage. It wasn’t until my mother passed away that I had the epiphany that I had to go to art school and make it happen and that life was too short to have regrets or avoid things. It was also a creative outlet for my emotions at the time. Jewelry was my silent ambassador. It was always there for me and taught me new things. Then, I started to see potential in myself and the others around me. I could use the language of jewelry to relate to others, and not only did it help me, but I could use it to help heal others.

Maurer-Zilioli Contemporary Arts has set up an exhibition space in Munich, Germany, in addition to its space in Italy, and the gallery recently showed the work of Swiss-born Therese Hilbert. This is a rare opportunity for us to interview her for the blog. Hilbert’s interest in volcanic landscapes has lasted for many years, and this body of work is no exception. Her work is minimal and clean, but beneath the surface is possibility of the churning lava flow. This is a powerful feeling if you can capture it.

Susan Cummins: Therese, can you tell me the story of the moment when you knew you were going to be an artist?

Therese Hilbert: Already, at the age of 15-years-old, I knew that I would like to do something creative in the future. It was actually a high school teacher who suggested that I should apply to the Kunstgewerbe Schule in Zurich. This turned out to be the first and most important step on my long way to become an artist.

Who were the professors that had the most influence on you?

Therese Hilbert: The Swiss gold- and silversmith Max Fröhlich (1908–1997), as the dean of the metal department at the Kunstgewerbe Schule and my teacher from 1965 until 1969, had the most influence. The entire school was based on the ideas of the Bauhaus and the Ulmer Schule. Hermann Jünger was a great example for all of us on how to live a real artist’s life as a goldsmith. However, as my professor from 1972 until 1978 at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Munich, his advice was not particularly suitable or helpful for my own work.

Joyce Scott is a very special jeweler to me since she made the pieces that provided my first clue that jewelry could have something to say. In 1981, four of her brooches were included in an exhibition called The Eloquent Object. The brooches were based on the 1978 suicide of 909 people in Guyana on the direction of Jim Jones, their cult leader. These four brooches, dated 1980, gave you a clear picture of the horror of it all. Many of the followers of Jones were African Americans, and Joyce, who is also African American, clearly felt the tragedy deeply. She has continued to pursue political themes and narratives in her jewelry over the years, and she has added sculpture and performance to her creative forms as well. Her current show at Mobilia Gallery includes a variety of necklaces, some of which continue to be politically motivated.

Susan Cummins: Joyce, when did you first know you were going to be an artist?

Joyce Scott: In vitro. I was born with one of the best-decorated placenta.

I know you have repeated the story of your mother and her influence on you many times, but would you mind repeating it for us once more?

Joyce Scott: I wrote this for Harriet Tubman, but I believe the same for my mom.

Marian Hosking is currently having an exhibition titled greetings from … at Gallery Funaki in Melbourne, Australia, where Marian is also based. As Kevin Murray has pointed out, “The basis for Marian’s artistic vision seems laid partly at her birth. Her parents’ marriage combined the two main elements that characterize her work. The mother was a passionate conservationist and the father was a Methodist metallurgist. The work that Marian has come to make seems to marry the bounty of nature with the discipline of matter.” In 2007, she was named a Living Treasure: Master of Australian Craft and has had numerous international shows over the years.

Susan Cummins: Please tell the story of when you knew you wanted to make jewelry.

Marian Hosking: While at high school, I was interested in architecture, Le Corbusier and the Modern movement. I started an architecture degree at Melbourne University, only for a few weeks, in 1967. I believed I could be studying for six years and end up working in a drafting office. I knew it was difficult to build buildings that pushed boundaries, and so I decided to go to art school. My sister had studied painting, and I did not want to study painting. Gold and silversmithing was my choice, so I unenrolled from university and applied to RMIT. I made the right decision for me.