Intimately Connected: Wearable Art

Overview

Like the clothing we wear, the jewellery we adorn our bodies with can be another way we choose to portray ourselves to the world. Often overlooked in today's contemporary art scene, the practice of jewellery making is making a comeback in .M Contemporary's newest exhibition, Intimately Connected.

Ten of the world's best jewellers take centre stage in this exhibition, which dips deep into their innovative and often experimental craftsmanship, conceptual development and contemporary design skills. In their hands, jewellery is no longer just something we throw on at the beginning of the day but transforms into a type of wearable art.

What makes jewellery such an interesting medium for these artists is that it creates an intimate conversation with the body. Founder and director of .M Contemporary Michelle Paterson says, "Jewellery art can draw attention to sexuality, enhance beauty, signify wealth and status, and project power … It can also have an emotional meaning." The range of colours, scale, texture and sculptural form in these works is quite unlike any adornment you're likely to have seen before; a reinvention of 'jewellery' for the 21st century.