Order of Appearance by Manon van Kouswijk

Artist list

Manon van Kouswijk

For her graduation project at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in 1995, the archetypal pearl necklace served as the theoretical and practical basis for jewellery that can still move us. Her fascination with the pearl necklace,with its characteristic construction of elements graduating in size strung on a thread, has remained intact and she has continued to explore it in various ways over the years. Working in clay, Manon discovered new possibilities for reinterpreting this iconic piece of jewellery. She does this in a process-based and systematic manner, in which manipulating the material with her fingers and using moulds determine both the visual and tactile result. When applied to brooches, the repeated manipulation of clay gives rise to groups of ornaments that function as an afterimage of existing brooch forms and motifs. The group of necklaces entitled Perles acquired by the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam several years ago clearly demonstrates the entire process. For the buyer and wearer of a single piece of jewellery from such a group, the cohesion of that ensemble exists only in the mind.

Opening: Saturday, 30 January, from 4 to 6 pm.

During this opening Manon's new book Findings will be launched and Benjamin Lignel, the author of the books text, will also be present.