Reader in Jewellery & Metalwork, Maria Hanson curates exhibition in Yunnan, China

This week Maria Hanson, ADRC’s Reader in Jewellery and Metalwork is undertaking a research trip to Yunnan in China with Chris Knight, silversmith, researcher and senior lecturer in Jewellery and Metalwork.

Maria was invited to curate an exhibition of contemporary jewellery and metalwork objects for the BR Gallery in the newly built Dali Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum. 

Sally Li, co-founder and director of the BR Gallery has said:

It is a great honor for us to invite Maria Hanson, one of the most representative jewelry and metal artists and curators in the UK, as well as a Ph.D. supervisor in jewelry and metals at Sheffield Hallam University, to be the curator of the first international exhibition in BR Gallery. The exhibition “Making Connections – Notions of Beauty” presents the works of seven metal and jewelry artists from Britain, who are active in the forefront of the industry with international reputation.

The works of this exhibition will show the deep connection between the Western tradition and the contemporary context, and the intrinsic connection of seven artists with different styles in their creative methods. At the same time, it is hoped that the exhibition can also build a long-term relationship between Chinese and Western metal art.

The exhibition, Making Connections: notions of beauty, shows the work of 7 UK artists and forms part of a research and cultural exchange with Dali Traditional Craft Workstation. The exchange features an academic forum where Maria Hanson and Chris Knight are both keynote speakers. The forum will be attended by 170 academics, government officials and craft makers from across China.

During the trip Maria and Chris will join current Sheffield Hallam MFA student of Jewellery and Metalwork, Zhu Lite and 2015 MA graduate, Iris Dai to visit local craft makers in Xinhua Village in the region of Heqing/Dali.

 

Maria says:

We hope this exhibition and academic exchange will strengthen future possibilities and collaborations.