Karin Johansson: Goodbye blue sky

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Karin Johansson

A jewellery exhibition about diversity enriching force

Karin Johansson is a jewellery artist and professor at HDK in Gothenburg.
In her first solo exhibition at Platina "Goodbye Blue Sky" she shows more than 100 brooches in the form of butterflies.
The butterflies are symbols with multiple meanings: The butterfly is double with its symetric form and has been throughout history, several meanings about death, rebirth, soul, freedom, life and beauty. The exhibition consists of more than one hundred objects, which in itself has a meaning.

"I wanted to do an exhibition where the viewer has to face a large collection of objects that at first glance may seem very similar, with the closer look to discover all the brooches are individual. There is something powerful in collections, the power of numbers which are both fascinated by the myriad of variations but also the feeling of great work", says Karin Johansson.

All butterflies are cut out by hand to show variations. All has their own form, own expression and become therefor unique. Karin Johansson believes it is important for the process to allow the natural deviations and variations. The diversity of each butterfly has become an asset. Karin also likes to do everything herself.

"The exhibition can be an image of the good society, the project wants to demonstrate the variety and the unique individuals to form a rich diversity", says Karin Johansson.

The materials of the exhibition is gold and oxidized silver. Some of the butterflies have the color of the enamel. Metal sheets have different surfaces by different tecniques. In addition to the brooch appears also paper impressions of these, where the metal acted as a character.