Tomorrow (14.01.2022) an official finisage of the exhibition “The Voice of Women” will be held in Legnica. You might see 3 of my works there, which have already been presented in Poznań (Yes Gallery). If someone wanted to see the exhibition, but hadn’t had a chance, I sincerely invite you to the event – as it will be the last chance to do so. I will be here, I might even say some words about the stories behind the creation of my exhibited works.
The project incorporated 200 works of 80 female artists. The whole concept was created by Galeria YES and can be read about on their website: https://galeriayes.pl/wystawa/glos-kobiet/
“„The Voice of Women ”is the only project which deliberately and with full responsibility assumes presenting only a female point of view of the world, people, art and emotions. The invitation to the project was accepted by over 80 artists who will present nearly 200 objects, mainly in the field of goldsmithing. And although the idea for this project was born much earlier, it (unfortunately) fits perfectly into the current social and political events, which are even directed against women. “The Voice of Women” is therefore an exhibition about women, dedicated to women and women, and it will be available from April 16 to July 10, 2021 at the YES Gallery .”
The curator of the exhibition is Ilona Rosiak-Łukaszewicz (director of the YES gallery in Poznań), and the idea of creating this exhibition is possible thanks to the founder of the Yes Gallery and the well-known collector of jewelery works – Maria Magdalena Kwiatkiewicz.
„Bamboo Leaf” – brooch/pendant
The piece will be available for sale after the exhibition’s end. More information is under the link https://rekamistworzone.com/en/produkt/bamboo-leaf-brooch-pendant/
I made this work for the exhibition at the Yes Gallery entitled “The Voice of Women”. Its idea is to present a woman’s point of view – including the recent political and social developments in Poland, but also any other feminist topics that women would like to raise. The subject of this exhibition is very close to me – I have always considered myself and will consider myself a feminist because I am proud to be a woman.
I made a series of 3 works for the exhibition, each of them touches a slightly different topic. I will start the presentation with the first one, which is also close to me because of the Zen aspect. The work seems inconspicuous, but as it always does in everything I do – it has a secondary meaning.
It is a bamboo twig, which in the brooch is made of black coral (I got it as a gift from a friend, the twig itself was cast on an Australian shore after a storm, many years ago). One of its leaves is a female figure who, smiling, watches the flying birds. Those birds were once leaves.
The stimulus to create this brooch / pendant are several quotes:
- “Zen in the art of archery” – Eugen Herrigel
“The bamboo leaf bends lower and lower under the pressure of the snow. Suddenly the snow slips to the ground without the leaf having stirred. Stay like that at the point of highest tension until the shot falls from you. So, indeed, it is: when the tension is fulfilled, the shot must fall, it must fall from the archer like snow from a bamboo leaf, before he even thinks it.”
- Ping Fu
“Bamboo is flexible, it bends under the influence of the wind, but never breaks, it is able to adapt to any circumstances. It suggests elasticity, which means that we have the ability to rebound even from the most difficult times… Your ability to develop depends on it. ultimately from your attitude to life circumstances. Take everything calmly and gracefully, sending energy when needed, but always maintaining inner peace. ”
- “Serenity” – Wash
“I’m a leaf in the wind. Watch me fly.”
This is my second work made for the exhibition at the Yes Gallery entitled “The Voice of Women”. The piece will be available for sale after the exhibition’s end. More information is under the link https://rekamistworzone.com/en/produkt/atlas-brooch-pendant/
This work shows a woman with a city on her head. She is like the mythical Atlas that carries the whole world on his shoulders. Women very often have the role of a person who has to look after everything, think about the good of everyone else around, supervise whether there is food, cleaning products at home, and whether everyone will be able to complete their tasks on time. In addition to her “usual” work, her mind must constantly analyze, plan and predict consequences not only for herself, but for every person important to her, during every minute of her day. Our society is structured in such a way that women are simply required to be the manager of the entire family. Feminists define this phenomenon as “the mental load”, i.e. the constant obligation to remember everything: that someone needs new shoes, that toilet paper is running out, that someone should take a pill at a certain time, that the color-clothes need to be washed, but the washing powder for colours has run out and needs to be bought, etc. It is a continuous work, never ending and extremely burning out. At the same time, men do not feel responsible for it until they are instructed by a woman – the house manager. This burden of constant supervision and taking care of everything and everyone around is practically unnoticeable from the outside, and the work performed is usually “Sisyphean”. In my brooch, this weight and pain is symbolized by the golden thorn which ends the woman’s bust. On her head rises a silver city with silver and rock crystal skyscrapers.
The Heart of Medusa – necklace
This is the third work I have done for the exhibition at the Yes Gallery entitled “The Voice of Women”. The piece will be available for sale after the exhibition’s end. More information is under the link https://rekamistworzone.com/en/produkt/the-heart-of-medusa/
The main theme is a woman, like Medusa, a creature a bit mythical, a bit divine. Her body is made of an icicle of natural rock crystal, which I found myself during one of my geological expeditions in Lower Silesia. The whole work is kept in ice-white colors, except for her heart – which is made of rainbow Ethiopian opal. In her hand she holds a piece of this heart that she is offering to someone. Women, no matter how divine they seem to be of origin, give away their hearts for love, which is often a spark that creates their uniqueness.
The lips, eyes and tentacle tips are gold-plated. The silver is partly diamonted. The pendant is composed of strings made of natural rock crystals.
The piece is inspired by a sculpture of a genious artists Forest Rogers, called “Octopoid”. She gave me her permission for this level of inspiration from her work, being charmed by the effect.
Below I present photos from the opening of the exhibition at Yes Gallery in Poznań in August 2021
The Finisage at the Ring Gallery in Legnica is over (14/01/2022). I would like to thank everyone for coming, for the opportunity to tell all the reasons why I have created my pieces and for such attentive listeners. I would like to thank the organizers of the exhibition in Legnica for this amazing event, the beautiful flower in a jar and for a wonderful dinner at the Ratuszowa Restaurant after the end of the exhibition.
Apart from me (Iwona Tamborska), the following artists-goldsmiths were present at the finisage: Magdalena Maślerz, Maja Woźniak, Marta Norenberg, Magdalena Julia Bajer.
Below are some photos that were shared with me by Magdalena Maślerz and some, that I took from the Facebook profile Legnica Jewellery Festiwal
