The Familiar in the Foreign

Jewellery from the Southern Hemisphere

Galerie Handwerk, Munich, Germany

12 March - 17 April 2025

Australian selection of artists curated by Lisa Cahill, ADC CEO and Helen Britton, international jewellery artist

Select here for the exhibition catalogue

Installation image by Eva Juenger, courtesy of Galerie Handwerk and Australian Design Centre. Wreath II is shown alongside Oliver Smith’s Neck Ring (2024).

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Wreath II 2024

Archival paper, stainless steel cable, sterling silver

320 mm diameter x 35 mm height

Artist statement:

Wreath II (2024) is a neckpiece made from archival (light resistant and acid-free) cotton rag paper. Thin strips have been hand cut from large sheets of paper, pierced with a scalpel blade according to sequences of millimetre measurements, and woven on nylon-coated stainless-steel cable, resulting in one long strand which has been wrapped to produce the wreath form. This soft, pliable and yet resilient paper is ideal for tightly folding and looping, and for wearing on the body.

Wreath II explores my interest in aesthetics of time and the value of craft skill through intricate methods of making using simple techniques, in this case the concertina-folding of thin paper strips. I have developed this paper folding process over many years across various jewellery designs and scales from small brooches to larger sculptural works. Wreath II embodies a sense of movement through the looped configuration of the form, further enhanced by the rhythmical effects of colour. The transformation of this humble material celebrates the beauty of pattern and ornamentation, and a harmonious tension between labour-intensive processes and the simplicity of the circular form.