NMIT graduates ’33 Carat’ @ Red Gallery

In what may be a first, I’ve managed to actually visit an exhibition in its first few days. I know; it is excellent.

In a break from recent years, the NMIT Jewellery Graduate (Advanced Diploma of Engineering Technology) exhibition, ‘33 Carat‘, is being shown at Red Gallery.

It’s a lovely bright space; I like this better than the previous venue for its light and the partitions/walls make the experience less daunting or visually overwhelming.

photograph with gallery permission

First impressions include:

• more variety of materials
• less high-polish (that’s a good thing in my personal opinion)
• more lyrical pieces
• not as much enamel this year
• … and of course the high quality construction is still a constant of NMIT graduates.
• and most especially gorgeous, a few examples of opals as a gem of choice. Perhaps this has had something to do with last year’s Part B exhibition ‘Oh Opal!‘ and Kim Victoria’s recent collections.

photograph with gallery permission

Participating makers are (alphabetical by surname):

• Sally Balfour, Zoe Beman, Jeremy Bryant
• Samantha Carr, Linda Clark, Tom Corbett
• Adrian Dyson
• Sarah Gibson, Anna Maidment Gray
• Arlia Hassell, Imogen Hobbs, Verity J Hollingworth, Sian E. Horrocks
• Yu Ishito [site]
• Takako Kajiya [site], Michael W Kilner, Jana King
• Willem Asher Payten, Kim Bach Pham [blog]
• Claire Renehan, Meegan Roberts, Marie Rose
• Beth Sayer, Gabrielle Sharp, Carmel Sheehy, Lizzie Slattery
• Dale Williams
• Sally Zurbo

photograph with gallery permission

Collections I most connected with include:

• Jeremy Bryant’s bold opal pieces
• Sarah Gibson’s geometric pieces, some with synthetic opals used to amazing effect
• Sally Zurbo’s earrings using choum iybsa, the shapes are lovely
• Yu Ishito’s whimsical enamel pieces are beautifully displayed
• Adrian Dyson’s amazing objects

Photos of some of these works are below … click on the ‘read more’.

‘33 Carat‘ is at Red Gallery until 23rd November 2013.

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2012 ‘Kaleidoscope‘ @ Northcote Town Hall

2011 ‘Auteur‘ @ Northcote Town Hall

2010 ‘Forge‘ @ Northcote Town Hall

2009 ‘Mint‘ @ Northcote Town Hall

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Update (11th November): I thought it may be interesting to republish the comment I wrote on this post today (for the super-lazy, who don’t want to click the ‘comments’ link .. you know, I like being helpful!):

“To add to my post, this year I felt something that I’ve had trouble putting into words; but I’ll try here (comments are more forgiving I think).

I think there was a genuine sense of individuality and personality and personal expression … in that it felt like I could feel something of the maker in the works, that I could sense a little of who they are … not that it’s not been there in previous years, but it seemed very evident to me this year. This is a wonderful thing, walking away feeling like you’ve ‘met’ the makers to a degree … I’m not sure if any of that makes sense … see what I mean about finding it difficult to put into words.”

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Photographs of individual collections:

Jeremy Bryant; photograph with gallery permission

Sally Zurbo; photograph with gallery permission

Sarah Gibson; photograph with gallery permission

Adrian Dyson; photograph with gallery permission

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