Jerwood Makers Open 2013

Conceptual maker Maisie Broadhead, jeweller Linda Brothwell, ceramicist Adam Buick, paper artist Nahoko Kojima (who is making a giant polar bear) and textile artist Roanna Wells have all been engaged for the commission, which looks to challenge traditional thinking in applied arts.

It is hoped that each of the pieces will make strong statements about contemporary craft in each designer’s field.

The makers were chosen in December 2012 more than 200 applications by a panel comprising Barber Osgerby’s Edward Barber, director of Stanley Picker Gallery David Falkner, and artist and editor Bonnie Kemske. 

Broadhead is inspired by the Old Masters in her photography. A rethinking of classic portraits with props, characters, clothing and environment allows her to bring wit and humour to familiar scenes.

For Jerwood Makers she will present a collection of re-workings of the work of Renaissance painter Paolo Veronese’s Allegory of Love series (1575), by drawing on personal experience and contemporary objects to interpret the subjects of Scorn, Unfaithfulness, Respect and Happy Union.

Painstakingly the props in the photos have been handmade from wood, glass, plastic and metal and their material imbues the final piece with another layer of symbolism.

RCA graduate Brothwell is interested in the processes of scarce traditional practices.  For Jerwood she has created a set of handmade tools including hammers, chisels and shims, which have been designed to help restore Sheffield’s purpose-built cutlery works Portland Works.

Buick, known for his handcrafted Korean Moon Jars, combines his ceramic work with film and for Jerwood has created a series of hand-thrown porcelain bells and shown how they can be displayed in a series of naturally occurring spaces including hidden sea caves in Pembrokeshire.

Sculptor Kojima has helped popularise kiri-e, the art of Japanese paper-cutting, in Europe according to Jerwood Makers organisers.

Fusing the intricacy of paper cut craft with narrative her commissioned piece is a swimming polar bear.

Made to scale, it will be hung from a height and lit to make the best of shadows and shapes.

Remarkably the 2.5m long piece is cut from one sheet of Japanese washi paper. For the sake of Kojima’s sanity let’s hope she nailed it in one go.

Wells’ work hovers between textile art and contemporary drawing and explores hand-stitch technique to create conceptual mark making.

Working on sheer silk and wool her design for Jerwood explores spontaneous pattern and depicts abstracted representations of crowd formations when viewed from above.

She commissioned areal photography of the Kumbh Mela celebrations in India as a starting point for the piece, which will measure 3m by 1.5m.

Jerwood Makers Open 2013 runs from 10 July – 25 August at the JVA Jerwood Space, 171 Union Street, Bankside, SE1