Re-Thinking Chilean Craft: Contemporary Jewellery in Horsehair - One Day Only: 27 November

 

The exhibition “Re-Thinking Chilean Craft” will take place at the Embassy of Chile in London on the 27th November 2009. With the support of Prochile, the exhibition will be run by ChileMakers (an organisation that promotes Chilean crafts in the United Kingdom).

 

Five Chilean designer-makers - Damajuana, Monoco, Cuenco, Daniela Gloger and Rari Artisans- were selected to make this exhibition possible. Several of their designs have already been exhibited in the United States, Germany, Spain and France. The presentation of jewellery and accessories will be complemented with an exhibition of photographs by the Chilean Elisa Bertelsen, who depicts the purity and simplicity of this centenary technique.

 

Over eighty years ago the female artisans of the small town of Rari, in the south of Chile, abandoned the vegetal fibre to explore the use of horsehair as the material for their traditional miniature wickerwork. Although the reason for this decision is unknown, the small community of artisans quickly realised the versatility of this material, especially working with small patterns, achieving delicate results.

 

In recent years, designers and craft persons in Chile have turned their attention towards the work of these women, building bridges between contemporary design and traditional crafting.

 

Date:        27th November 2009

Time:        6pm – 8pm

Venue:     Exhibition Room, Embassy of Chile in London, 37 – 41 Old Queen Street, SW1 H9JA