Jiro Kamata: A Piece of Reality, Jewellery as a Memory Workshop

A Piece of Reality, Jewellery as a Memory
A Travelling Workshop by Jiro Kamata

A Piece of Reality is the second workshop in the series Travelling Workshop, an initiative of Otro Diseno Mexico, Walka Studio Chile and NovaJoia Brazil, which aims to offer jewelers, designers and visual artists who live in Latin America the opportunity to address the global notion of contemporary jewellery by the exploration of conceptual and critical thinking and the application of materials, techniques and technology according as a response to that line of thought. The program seeks to offer jewelers of this cultural region the tools to define their individual position as an artist, strengthen their respective national scenes and participate actively in the international arena of contemporary jewellery. 

Jewellery, through history, has functioned as a memento, capable of safeguarding through time events relevant to an individual or community. A Piece or Reality addresses the role of contemporary jewellery as a memorial object and its appropriation of portable recording technology. During the workshop Jiro Kamata will use his iconic 'Tesa Ring' as a starting point to analyze the relationship between concepts, materials and techniques and encourage participants to explore the creative potential of jewelry as a powerful tool of social communication. After the workshop participants will be able to channel more accurately the potential of contemporary jewellery as an art form, having developed two specific projects and gained a better understanding of the processes and materials selection. 

Workshop coordinator in Mexico City: Martacarmela Sotelo

Jiro Kamata was born in Hirosaki, Japan. He studied jewellery at the Yamanashi Institute in Kofu and became later a student of Otto Künzli at the Fine Arts Academy in Munchen, city where he lives and works since 2000.
Jiro Kamata is assistant professor at the Fine Arts Academy in Munich. His work is featured in exhibitions around the world and in private and public collections such as the V&A Museum in London, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam or the Hiko Mizuno Collection in Tokyo.


The workshop is open to jewelers and visual artists of all nationalities who are interested in contemporary jewellery as a means of artistic expression and who have good jewellery skills.
The workshop focuses on experimentation, discussion and criticism, so the participants must have an interest in understanding and experiencing contemporary jewellery as a form of cultural and artistic expression.
The participants will be encouraged to develop their own concepts and perspectives within the context of the workshop discussions and so a high level of individual thought is necessary.
The workshop will be dictated in English, so participants must have a good command of the language.


The participants should bring the following materials to the workshop:
• Their own jeweller's toolbox
• Portable recording devices (mobile phone, digital camera, iPad)
• Other materials which are able to 'record': such as wax, clay, paper, metal, textile, etc.
• Mementos (photographs, films, souvenirs, reliquaries, keepsakes, etc). 

Prior to the workshop, the participants are asked to prepare a ring in advance. 

Registration: The deadline for registration is January 15th, 2013. 

The capacity of the workshop is limited to 12 participants. Payment of the registration fee is the only way to guarantee a seat in the workshop. Participants will be registered on first come, first serve basis.
Payments can be made by credit card through PayPal at the moment of registration or in cash to the workshop coordinator in Mexico City. 
For cash payments please contact maca.sotelo@otro-diseno.com


For Further Information
Email: workshops@otro-diseno.com
Phone: +52 55 5531 8363
Workshop coordinator in Mexico City: Martacarmela Sotelo 

Other Venues And Dates
If you are interested in learning more about these venues, please contact the host academies directly: 

The Workshop Estudio
Guadalajara, Mexico
25.02.2013 – 01.03.2013 

Walka Studio
Santiago, Chile
21.03.2013 – 15.03.2013 

Studio Metallo
San Jose, Costa Rica
26.08.2013 – 30.08.2013

Dates and price

Date: Saturday 16th to Wednesday 20th February 2013. From 10:30 to 17:00 hrs.
Place: Taller Tierra y Plata
Language: English
Participation fee: USD $400 or its equivalent in Mexican Pesos. Payments can be made via Pay Pal at the moment of registration or in cash to the workshop coordinator.

Limited to 12 participants. Registration will take place on first come, first served basis.

Payments can be made with credit card via Pay Pal or by bank transfer to our account in Santiago de Chile

Deadline for registration: January 15th, 2013.