Dazzle @ Oxo 2017
From contemporary classics to brilliantly bonkers - the contemporary jewellery selling exhibition that delights in diversity returns to gallery@oxo and introduces an exceptional crop of handpicked new 2017 graduates, amongst a roll call of designer big guns.
“The oldest and largest exhibition of contemporary jewellery in Europe, and as one of the key aims is to discover and promote new talent, you can be sure of discovering fresh approaches to the medium among the thousands of pieces on display.” - Time Out
Miniature nuns set in resin, silver dogs with wagging ears, designs inspired by office stationery, by the Australian outback, by global warming …. With materials ranging from silver to silk clay, from emeralds to enamel, from platinum to paper, bog oak to braid … And techniques spanning 3D printed nylon to high carat gold, forged, pierced and hammered with traditional hand tools … Dazzle is most definitely back. Their annual jewellery jamboree brings more than 4,000 hand made pieces for men and women to London, showcasing over 80 extraordinary contemporary designers from the Orkneys down to New Zealand, with prices ranging from £20 to that gulp-inducing £POA. Plus hand made designer leather bags, hand woven fine woollen scarves and stunning ceramic, floral wall hangings, each petal exquisitely hand sculpted.
Dazzle contemporary jewellery exhibition returns to London for the 36th year, its 5th year at gallery@oxo. A wonderfully positioned venue at the heart of Oxo Tower Wharf, the gallery lies in the design quarter of London’s buzzing Southbank. Surrounded by independent designers’ shops, the internationally famous vista of Old Father Thames and the iconic Oxo Tower with its high-end eateries and breathtaking views, this is a full-on treat day out.
Since launching their first selling exhibition in Manchester in 1981, and coining the term ‘contemporary jewellery’ to define their exhibits, Dazzle has consistently sourced, curated and encouraged the most innovative, ingenious and inspired of talent; offering not just a much needed retail platform, but a supportive, nurturing community of craftspeople that has tipped over 1,000 designers across the years.
For the visitor, it is a collector’s diary date, a cross section of the finest the sector has to offer, all under one roof; a place to discover, to invest, to indulge and to crack on with that Christmas list.
Jewellery should be tried on, held, its story heard and craftsmanship explained. Buying it is an occasion, a potential heirloom, a personal event to be enjoyed at leisure. Dazzle’s team of relaxed, specialist staff - many jewellers themselves - understand all this.
New Talent
A roll call of top, internationally-collected designers, that annually accepts Dazzle’s invitation to exhibit, includes Jane Adam, Sarah Pulvertaft, Grace Girvan, Heather Woof, Jane Moore, Latham & Neve and Jean Scott-Moncrieff. With returning heroes including Alan Ardiff, Flora Bhattachary, Jelka Quintelier, Emma Calvert and Cara Tonkin; and a warm welcome to Helen Noakes, with her wittily whimsical work, embedding model railway figures in silver-set resin, and the 100% responsibly sourced precious metals of Karen Westland.
They join a blockbuster bill of rising stars, hand selected from the 2017 graduate shows for the innovation and quality of their designs and workmanship, including:
• Mara Balode – before even graduating, Mara was a Gold winner at the Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Awards 2016. Her sculptural pieces explore the relationship between light and shadow, informed by a study period in Japan.
• Adrienn Pesti – using industrial enameling, laser welded steel and silk clay, Adrienn’s pieces are designed to be talking points, to broker social interaction and encourage integration.
• Olivia Creber – inspired by a dual heritage of the English coast and Australian outback, she uses raw and finished stones with precious metals to create classic, yet contemporary, organic pieces.
• Paula Tremaine – using such techniques as lost wax casting and carving, with materials including wood, silver and bone, Paula creates beautifully spare pieces that draw on nature, balance and rhythm for inspiration.
• Hannah Lornie – inspired by the textures and colours of nature, Hannah’s work is a dynamic collision of precious and non-precious materials.
“Contemporary jewellery magpies have the chance to expand their collections and spread the jewellery bug with gifts .. a show-stopping event .. an Aladdin’s cave.” - CRAFTS magazine
New Techniques
Dazzle has historically always encouraged experimentation. Over the years this has resulted in the introduction of titanium, niobium and tantalum, even paper, plastic and wood; as well as such techniques as the oxidisation of silver and patination of copper and brass. Where other outlets would shy from the risk, Dazzle has embraced it, occasionally to controversial ends (semen-filled glass jewellery, for one). 2017 sees an exciting trend for traditional techniques being partnered with modern, digital technology, particularly the increasingly exciting, creative potential of 3D printing.
• Evgeniia Balashova - Russian-born, Glasgow School of Art trained, Evgeniia’s vivid, sculptural designs play on the contrast between chaos and order, and are created by hand spraying 3D printed nylon in shades as fluid as her shapes.
• Lynne MacLachlan – a degree in aerospace engineering is perhaps an unusual route for an award-winning jeweller, but explains her fascination with digital technology. Her designs are statement pieces of hand dyed, vibrant, 3D printed pieces made from nylon mesh.
• Rebecca Wilkes – Named “Bright Young Gem” at International Jewellery London in 2016, she also won Silver and Gold at Goldsmiths’ Craft and Design Council awards in 2017. Rebecca also specialises in 3D printing and hand dyes her vibrant nylon blooms, combining modern technology and traditional techniques to show-stopping, joyous effect.
• Isla Christie – a recent Glasgow School of Art graduate, Isla works with silver and paper, ‘slicing’ digital 3D models into pieces created by layers of cut paper.
“Looking for something unique? Visit Dazzle …. A chance to see innovations in materials as well as finding the stars of tomorrow.” - Telegraph magazine
