Each goldsmith of the year has their own individual idiom and method of working. The jewellery and items were created using various methods: handcrafting, drilling, sawing, forging, casting. For many, modern 3D-technology has opened doors to unlimited possibilities for new design. Over the decades, goldsmiths and silversmiths have shaped many unique pieces of luxury jewellery, but have also worked with mass production.
The smiths are connected by their passion, quality and an uncompromising attitude towards their work. They don't cut corners; instead, they will labour over even the smallest detail. A journey through the Brilliant! exhibition will uncover experimentation, the search for novel ideas, respect for traditions and international success stories. The smiths' works have been given as gifts to members of royal families and to popular figures who have divided popular opinion, such as the Shah of Iran and Diana, Princess of Wales. Throughout the decades, the jewellery has featured in well-respected, international exhibitions and in private collections.
Beads of morning dew on a cobweb, rocks clawed by frost. Jewellery artisan Karl Laine’s creations were driven by tranquil observations of nature. Laine has refined natural power and sensitivity into jewellery through sketches, searching for the freest possible strokes. At first, he made jewellery from bronze, but later on began to incorporate silver. He made use of metallic surfaces, of the contrast between matte and gloss. In fact, contrast fascinated him. Fire and water; the combination of angular and round; these gave way to new design.
Laine founded the Sten & Laine company in the late 1960s. It soon entered the Swedish markets, and shortly afterwards the wide-surfaced, tranquil pieces attracted interest in Germany. Mass production had no detrimental impact on the artistry behind the work. Instead, mass production allowed for Laine’s art to reach the masses.
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