ARTICLES OF HOPE: ADORNMENTS FOR JUSTICE | ART PREVIEW
Jewelry and body adornment have played a significant role in many social and political campaigns throughout history, perhaps most famously the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament’s use of badges in 1958, which became so effective that their symbol is now one of the most iconic symbols of the 20th century.
In recognition of this, jeweller Rowena Galton has devised an exhibition of body adornments based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, inspired by its 60th anniversary in 2008. As said by Galton on the subject; “Jewellery, now so often the domain of frivolous decoration through mass production, seldom is imbued with such meaning…Campaign jewellery however, maintains a call for action on matters of social importance.”
The eleven pieces of jewelry on display were created by eleven different members of the Manchester Jewellers Network, each depicting one of the thirty Articles set out by UDHR, with themes including freedom of choice, slavery, access to medicine, knife crime and China’s rule over Tibet.
Every piece is imbued with each artist’s unique style and personality, making for a very diverse and provocative exhibition brought to life by Jonathon Keenan’s journalistic photography, which illustrates each piece in a very human context.
words: STEPHEN SPRINGATE
Oriel Davies, Powys
Sat 16 Nov- Wed 22 Jan
Admission: Free
Info: 01686 625041 / www.orieldavis.org