Whispers and Cries by Jivan Astfalck, Rachel Darbourne and Nanna Grønborg

Artist list

Jivan Astfalck, Rachel Darbourne, Nanna Grønborg

While we make jewellery and objects which are mostly wearable and made by hand, we also share an interest in exploring the tender point where jewellery practice merges into sculpture as a kind of post-jewellery practice.

Whispers & Cries is interested in the conceptual concerns of intimacy in jewellery, ideas and philosophies of narrative and meaning, where the participants explore shared beliefs in distinctly different artistic practices.

We like to rethink ideas of tradition and the status of objects in a way that allows us to re-imagine beauty which resonates with intimacy, signified by a continuous dynamic of rediscovery, recycling of meaning and appropriation - sometimes whispering and sometimes crying.


Jivan Astfalck is a visual artist, jeweller and academic. Born in Berlin, where she trained as a goldsmith, she has been living in London for more than 30 years. She obtained her MA in the History and Theory of Modern Art at Chelsea College of Art and Design, and her PhD in Fine Art at the University of the Arts London. Dr Astfalck is Professor Emeritus at Birmingham City University, where she previously taught at the world-renowned School of Jewellery. She combines her studio practice, which she exhibits internationally, with curating and leading creative projects, consulting, and teaching in Europe and China. Currently, she is a Visiting Professor at the Sichuan Fine Art Institute and the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Art.

Rachel Darbourne is a mixed-media jeweller and academic. She gained her BA in Jewellery from Middlesex University and her MA in Jewellery, Silversmithing and Related Products from the School of Jewellery at Birmingham City University (BCU). Rachel was born in London and now lives and works in the Southwest of the UK. Her work is exhibited nationally and internationally.

Nanna Grønborg is an artist working in jewellery and objects related to the body and its environment.  She qualified as a Master-Goldsmith, gained her BA from Staatliche Zeichenakademie in Hanau Germany, and her MA in Jewellery, Silversmithing and Related Products from the School of Jewellery, Birmingham City University (BCU). Nanna was born in Denmark, established her studio in Munich in 1996 and now lives and works in Augsburg, Germany. She exhibits her work worldwide.

Opening: Thursday 13th March at 10h.
Visiting hours: 10.00-18.00 h on Thursday 13th – Saturday 15th March and 10.00-16.00 h on Sunday 16th March.