ON/OFF/YES/NO by Welfe Bowyer
Exhibition Dates: 29th September to 13th October, 2022.
Opening Night Event
Thursday 29th September, 2022
5pm – 7pm
e.g.etal contemporary jewellery gallery
150 Little Collins Street, Melbourne
Join us and the artist for drinks and nibbles to celebrate the
opening of this exhibition. You can RSVP to events@egetal.com.au.
ON/OFF/YES/NO brings together a range of new works by Bowyer, that showcase his evolving affection for texture, structure and the gemstone.
As the audience for contemporary jewellery has evolved and expanded, so has what might be deemed a suitable engagement ring. At first glance these pieces reach along that spectrum from classical to contemporary, but look closer and you will find the lines are getting blurry.
There are pieces that reference classical symmetry from one view, while flipping to reveal a brutalist structure from the other. Pieces that come together quickly and spontaneously, others that are considered and immaculately carved over hours. Some look to ignore their relationship to the stone, looking to dominate, while others submit to the beauty and perfection of the jewel, melting into the background, albeit a background of ancient geometric ruin.
As always the reward for the wearer is in these details.
Originally from Wales, Welfe grew up in New Zealand from a young age, where he eventually studied Architecture. Since then he has always been interested in studying and designing in three dimensions. Welfe moved to Melbourne in 2009 where he simultaneously began experimenting with jewellery design while working in Architecture. Predominantly a self taught jeweller and obsessed with texture and materiality, jewellery allowed him the perfect medium with which to conceptualise, experiment and create on a scale different to that of architecture.
Welfe’s designs are like lost heirlooms, something created centuries ago, now re-discovered. Their eroded forms allude to intricately designed geometries from an alternate history…
