artist jeweller @ australart.com
Some of my latest jewellery pieces are presented at this exhibition in Fremantle (Western Australia) – opening Thursday 16 October
Certaines de mes dernieres creations de bijoux sont presentees a cette exposition a Fremantle (Australie Occidentale) – vernissage le jeudi 16 octobre
I came back from Europe early August; I will be leaving Australia to return to Europe in a few days. ‘Arrived’, ‘departed’, that’s what is stamped on my passport every time I arrive and leave Australia.
Je suis rentrée d’Europe en Australie début août, je partirai d’Australie dans quelques jours pour retourner en Europe. ‘Arrivée’, ‘Partie’, voilà ce qui est tamponné sur mon passeport à chaque fois que j’arrive en Australie et quand je quitte le pays.
The last two months have been very creative and active, preparing for two exhibitions.
Ces deux derniers mois ont étés très créatifs et actifs dans la préparation de deux expositions.
The first one is a group exhibition being held in Munich at Studio Gabi Green, opening 17 October. The theme and title of the exhibition is ‘Marken-Schmuck’. This title plays on the double meaning of ‘marken’ in German, which means both stamp and brand. Stamp here can be interpreted in many ways, the first one of course being postal stamp.
La première est une exposition de groupe qui va se tenir à Munich au Studio Gabi Green, vernissage le 17 octobre. Le thème et titre de l’exposition est ‘Marken-Schmuck’. Ce titre joue sur le sens multiple de ‘marken’ en allemand, qui peut signifier selon le contexte : timbre (postal ou autre), tampon et marque.
The other exhibition I will be participating to is organized by the Jewellers and Metalsmith Group of Australia (JMGA WA) and is being held in Fremantle (Western Australia). The theme of the exhibition is ‘Wear/Ware/Where’ and it will be opening on 16 October (venue to be confirmed).
L’autre exposition à laquelle je vais participer est organisée par le ‘Jewellers and Metalsmisth Group of Australia’ (JMGA WA) et va se tenir à Fremantle (Australie Occidentale). Le thème de l’exposition est ‘Wear/Ware/Where’ (homonymes qui se prononcent de la même manière mais qui ont une signification différente : Porter/Ustensile/Lieu).
I was able to develop a body of work that satisfied simultaneously the themes of both exhibitions which made the whole experience very interesting.
J’ai pu développer une collection de bijoux qui réponde simultanément aux critères des deux exhibitions, ce qui a rendu l’expérience très intéressante.
Australia is where I live – I hold a Permanent Resident Visa. France is where I’m from – I hold this connection lively. The immigration stamps on my passport record my whereabouts. They are the imprinted memory of my dual identity.
I used the images of my visa and passport stamps as the visual basis for my jewellery, either on paper or on recycled sterling silver. I explored paper as a new medium, as a means of exploring my femininity. The images were stripped and folded in a ‘noeud-papillon’ in French (literally ‘butterfly-knot’ or a bow-tie). The butterfly, in Aboriginal (Nyoongar) culture, is the most delicate feminine creature. The earthy colours of the natural pigments, the Sandalwood and Quandong seeds also talk of the Australian landscape. To transfer images on silver I used a non-toxic, environmental friendly process where no acid is used, as opposed to traditional etching.
Je vis en Australie, j’ai un visa de Résident Permanent. Je suis d’origine française. Les tampons sur mon passeport enregistrent mes va-et-vient. Ils sont comme la mémoire imprimée de ma double identité. J’ai utilisé les images de mon visa et de ces tampons comme base visuelle pour la création de mes bijoux, soit sur du papier soit sur de l’argent recyclé. J’ai exploré le papier comme un nouveau medium, le caractère fragile du papier étant un moyen d’explorer ma féminité. Les images ont étés découpées et pliées à la manière d’un nœud papillon. Le papillon, dans la culture Aborigène (Nyoongar ) de l’Australie Occidentale, est la créature féminine la plus délicate. Les graines de Sandalwood, de Quandong, et les couleurs de pigments naturels font tous référence au paysage australien. Pour transférer les images sur de l’argent j’ai utilisé une méthode non-toxique et non polluante de gravure, différente de la gravure traditionnelle qui utilise des acides.
I have really enjoyed developing a narrative and talking about my story through these wearable objects. Photos of the jewellery will be posted on the blog once the exhibitions have started.
J’ai eu beaucoup de plaisir à développer un narratif qui raconte mon histoire à travers ces objets que l’on porte. Les photos des bijoux seront sur le blog une fois les expositions ouvertes.
Opening Saturday 19 July, Exhibition & Sales on Sunday 20 July
Some of my jewellery will be presented at the art show Pigments of Your Imagination.The Exhibition will open with a Champagne Opening on Saturday 19 July from 7pm until 9.30pm followed by the exhibition and sale on Sunday 20 July.
Location: Sylvia & Harry Hoffman hall, Carmel Primary School, Perth, WA
This art exhibition showcases established and emerging Western Australian artists and artisans: paintings, jewellery, ceramics, sculpture and more.
Proceeds go to charity- supporting a school for disadvantaged children in Israel.
These two artworks speak of the making of my new identity as a French woman migrant in Australia and emerging artist.
They show two levels of appropriation and interpretation:
Firstly, I assembled shards found on the beach, remnants of earlier European settlement. I staged these found objects as one would of living characters; I enjoyed the play of their relationships.
During that period of assemblage, I wrote about my emotions.
In a second phase I photographed my sculpture and digitally edited it. By including my writing into the image I put myself into the landscape. I created a sense of belonging.
Opening night on Wednesday 9 April at 6pm at Gallery Central, 12 Aberdeen st, Perth.
The exhibition runs from 10 April to 3 May where I will be presenting a selection of my jewellery pieces from my studies at Central Institute of Technology.
Ngaala Kaaditj, Whadjuk Nyoongar Moort, keyen kaadak nidja boodja.
We acknowledge the Whadjuk Nyoongar people as the original custodians of this land. And we pay our respects to their elders past, present and future.
This is a month late; I feel that is how I should have started my blog. I have been living in Western Australia for more than 15 years and this country has been good to me. My connection to the landscape and the place was immediate on my first trip in 1994. It has strongly developed overtime, traveling across the continent in all States, camping, hiking, and generally enjoying the magnificence of Australia’s unique environment. The last couple of years, my sense of belonging and connection to the land has developed even more strongly through my participation to several workshops and weekends on country under the guidance of Nyoongar Elder Dr. Noel Nannup.
In 2012 I participated to a serie of four Nyoongar cultural workshops held at Replants in Fremantle. These were four magic evenings listening to ancient stories told by great storyteller Dr. Noel Nannup, by the fire amongst a forest of Balgas, here right in the middle of our city.
Since these workshops I participated to three weekends on Country led by Dr. Noel Nannup and organised by Jaime Yallup Farrant (RRaFT Educators). We traveled to significant sites in the wheatbelt, East of Perth, one time up to Wave Rock, learning about Aboriginal spirituality, culture and language. All this learning while living in the bush for 3 days was a fantastic experience. The connection to the land deepened from all sides: intellectual, physical and emotional. It gave me a greater appreciation and respect for the Nyoongar people’s culture and the land.
I’ll close this ‘acknowledgement’ post by saying that now it’s time to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia’s Constitution. It’s the right thing to do.
From 10 April to 2 May 2014, I’ll be joining the Shine exhibition presenting the cream of Central Institute of Technology 2013 graduates.
The exhibition is at Gallery Central, 12 Aberdeen Street in Perth.
A great opportunity for those who missed the Graduation Show last December to see and purchase my jewellery pieces from last year.
blandine hallé