The results of the Mari Funaki Award for Contemporary Jewellery are in:
the winner of the prize for an established artist is Kiko Gianocca with his series of 3 necklaces, ‘Veneer’.
The two emerging winners are Patricia Correia Domingues with her pendant from the ‘Duality’ series, and Sara Gackowska with her ‘Membrane’ brooch from the ‘Methamorophosis’ series.
The judges were also very impressed with the work of Inari Kiuru (emerging) and Jiro Kamata (established) and gave each a commendation. It’s been a wonderful night and congratulations to all!
The « Mari Funaki Award for Contemporary Jewellery » EXHIBITION runs until September 13.
Mari Funaki was a unique and passionate advocate for contemporary jewellery in Australia, both through her own remarkable practice and her establishment and directorship of Gallery Funaki.
This Award aims to celebrate Mari’s legacy by rewarding the skills and vision of jewellers both here and overseas and by providing a platform for outstanding new work to be shown here in Australia. A panel of three judges will award prizes in both established and emerging categories, with total prize money valued at AUD$11,000.
The judges are:
Warwick Freeman, an eminent New Zealand jeweller who has exhibited with Gallery Funaki since 1995. He is the recipient of the Francoise van den Bosch Prize (2002) and the Bayerischer Staatpreis ‘Modern Classic’ (2013).
Simon Cottrell, a prominent Australian jeweller and educator and currently acting head of the Gold and Silversmithing Workshop at ANU, Canberra. Cottrell has an extensive exhibition history and his work is held in numerous international collections.
Julie Ewington, a leading Australian art specialist with almost 40 years experience as an academic, writer and curator. Most recently Curatorial Manager at Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art, she has a particular interest in contemporary jewellery and has written extensively on the topic, most recently in the 2013 Lark publication, ‘Contemporary Jewelry in Perspective’. She was recognised this year with an Australia Council for the Arts Visual Arts Award.
The Award is generously supported by Vivienne and Leo Donati, Johannes Hartfuss and Fabian Jungbeck
And the winners are…
In the established category, the judges chose Kiko Gianocca’s Veneer necklaces.
There are two winners in the emerging category. The first is Patrícia Correia Domingues with her pendant from the Duality series.
The second emerging prize goes to Sara Gackowska for her Membrane brooch from the Methamorphosis series .
In the emerging category, the judges also gave a commendation to Inari Kiuru’s two brooches from the Evolution series (right), saying “this commendation recognises the conceptual adventurousness of her project, which takes her across diverse materials to explore the inter-connectedness of natural and urban systems.”
And a commendation in the established category went to Jiro Kamata, for his Spiegel necklace (right). The judges said “this classical graduated necklace is composed of camera lenses and mirrors that bring viewers into the very substance of the piece. But, note, everyone who sees themselves will do so from a different perspective. This, in combination with its impeccable making, comprises its simple elegance.”
We extend warm congratulations to all the winning artists and thank everyone involved in the exhibition, which received an overwhelmingly positive response on this, its opening night.
In the established category, the judges chose Kiko Gianocca’s Veneer necklaces (2014, neckpiece, wood veneer, balsawood, brass, 220x240x18mm). Of these works, they commented: “They have a boldness of scale that makes them look challenging to wear, but the choice of materials and the subtlety of the construction make these pieces exceptionally successful on the body.
Veneer 1, 2 and 3 are deceptively straightforward titles, but we found that the pieces evoke many different associations and interpretations. They move and shift on the body, with their beautiful hinging adapting to the wearer. This is exceptional work.”
There are two winners in the emerging category. The first is Patrícia Correia Domingues with her pendant from the Duality series.
The second emerging prize goes to Sara Gackowska for her Membrane brooch from the Methamorphosis series .
The second emerging prize goes to Sara Gackowska for her Membrane brooch (2013, brooch, bio-resin, hematite, sterling silver, 100x65x25mm) from the Methamorphosis series .
The judges said: “We greatly admired the elegant oppositions between the two main materials- dense hematite on the top surface, and spongy bio-resin on the base. There’s a wonderful necessary relationship between the two materials and the way the top surface appears broken, and fractured, precisely because of their interaction.”
Patrícia Correia Domingues with her pendant from the Duality series. (‘Duality’, 2014, pendant, artifical ivory,)Of this work, the judges said: “Patricia’s work Duality plays with oppositions between chance and deliberation – if you look at the piece, you’ll see that it seems highly structured – it’s a frame of artificial ivory, but she has embraced the possibilities of chance in fracturingthat form.”
EXHIBITION : August 13, 2014 to September 13, 2014
The exhibitors are:
Ela Bauer (PL/IL/NL) — Alexander Blank (DE) – Conversation Piece (SE) — Hermien Cassiers (BE) — Jane Dodd (NZ) – Patrícia Correia Domingues (PT/DE) — Benedikt Fischer (AT/DE) — Emi Fukuda (JP/DE) — Sara Gackowska (PL) — Kiko Gianocca (CH) — Marcos Guzman (AU) — Jo Hawley (GB/NZ/AU) — Therese Hilbert (CH/DE) — Lucie Houdková (CZ) — Linda Hughes (AU) — Kaori Juzu (JP/DK) — Jiro Kamata (JP/DE) — Inari Kiuru (FI/AU) – Jun Konishi (JP) — Lore Langendries (BE) — Carlier Makigawa (AU) — Gitte Nygaard (DK/NL) – Martin Papcun (CZ/DE) — Nelly van Oost (FR/BE) — Thanh-Truc Nguyen (DE) — Mette Saabye (DK) — Michihiro Sato (JP) — Helen Shirk (USA) — Blanche Tilden (AU) — Julia Walter (DE/NL) — Reinhold Ziegler (NO)
Nelly van Oost (France/Belgium, emerging) ‘You Shall Love Your Neighbour’, Incipit 2014, brooch, 18k gold, paint, 85x180x70mmMichihiro Sato (Japan, established) SOLD Untitled, 2014, brooch, paper, silver, brass, steel, 180x35x35mm
Martin Papcun (Czech Republic/Germany, established) ‘Building’, 2013, brooch, sterling silver, zinc coated, 60x80x120mm
Carlier Makigawa (Australia, established) Bracelet, 2014, sterling silver, high density foam, 100x120x70mm
Lore Langendries (Belgium, emerging) ‘Hunacturing series (Deer, Springbuck, Cow)’, 2014, brooches, deer, springbuck, cow hide, black saddle leather, magnets, 5x80x80mm each
Benedikt Fischer (Austria/Germany, emerging) ‘Monocoque’, 2013, pendants, plastic, string Dimensions from left to right: 84x164x37mm, 110x122x25mm, 107x117x35mm
Inari Kiuru (Finland/Australia, emerging) ‘Evolution series’, 2013, brooches From left to right: stainless steel, 70x130x70mm; mild steel, stainless steel, clay, iron, patina, paint, 60x60x60mm JUDGES’ COMMENDATION – EMERGING SECTION
Gallery FUNAKI
4 Crossley Street
Melbourne, Victoria
Australia 3000
PO Box 24142
Melbourne, Victoria
Australia 3001
Email
tel +613 9662 9446
Congratulations to David Bielander, 
Congratulations Sarah Johnston (AU), 
Congratulations to Ela Bauer, 
Congratulations to Genevieve Howard, 
