Museum of Arts and Design Announce Winners of the Loot Acquisition Prize 2018

“We are thrilled to add these two new works to the Museum’s collection, as they continue our tradition of support for new artists and new thinking in the field of studio jewelry and wearable art,” 
said Shannon R. Stratton, Chief Curator at MAD.
"Both pieces are contemporary expressions of craft processes and material explorations present in the Museum’s collection,” 

said Assistant Curator Barbara Paris Gifford. “We were impressed with the caliber of artistry and technical ability displayed in these handmade pieces.”

Awarded by a jury, the LOOT Acquisition Prize seeks to recognize a LOOT jewellery artist whose work reflects a maturity in artistry and concept; exhibits both a superior and experimental understanding of materials and form; and demonstrates expertise in technique and execution. Chaired by William and Mildred Lasdon Chief Curator Shannon R. Stratton and Assistant Curator Barbara Paris Gifford, the jury this year included LOOT Curator Bryna Pomp; LOOT Chair Marsy Mittlemann; and Michele Cohen, Chair of the Museum’s Board of Trustees.

Textile jewellery designer Isabelle Molénat lives and works in Toulouse, France. More than ornaments, she considers her jewels to be messengers, carrying stories about our heritage and linking us to other times. Her “Knots” collection represents the tying and resolution of these links, to understand their meaning and impact. Molénat sees the process of creation as an interplay between technique and chance: the technique represents the past, while the chance represents the present. She works in silk and eco-prints her fabric using dye from carefully selected plants, which produce tannins that change through the seasons. Molénat uses the dyed silk to make sheathed ribbons, which she then weaves to create wearable textile sculptures.

Thai jeweller Sarran Youkongdee began his jewellery practice in 2008. Inspired by the rich culture and heritage of his birth country, he creates art to wear, characterized by flowers and an artistry that pays tribute to women past and present. His creations are amalgamations of elaborate designs and royal handicrafts from the past, made with contemporary materials. Deeply interested in women’s role in Thai society, he combines modern beauty and ancient wisdom to create pieces that speak to women of all generations.

LOOT: MAD About jewellery reflects the Museum of Arts and Design’s commitment to the exploration of materials and process, as well as its long-standing presentation of jewellery as an art form. MAD is the only American museum with a gallery dedicated to the display of both temporary jewelry exhibits and its own collection of contemporary and modern studio and art jewellery, comprising more than nine hundred pieces. The LOOT Acquisition Prize formalizes the Museum’s goal of enhancing its collection by acquiring jewellery from artists who have made significant contributions to the field and whose work provides historical context for MAD’s mid- to late-twentieth-century pieces, as well as from emerging artists who are an important force in the contemporary art jewelry scene.

The inaugural LOOT Acquisition Prize was awarded to designer Alena Willroth in 2016. In 2017, the prize was awarded to Sunyoung Kim and Ute van der Plaats. Past LOOT artists who have had works acquired by the Museum include the well-established art jeweller Iris Nieuwenburg and the emerging jewellery artist Casey Sobel.

For more information on Loot click here

Image: Sarran Youkongdee and Isabelle Molénat with the jewelry works acquired. 
Photo: Jared Siskin/PMC.