Today I have launched a new ArtForward blog

WELCOME to the new ArtForward blog: www.artforward.dk

A year ago I started blogging at this website. It has been such a pleasure and I have enjoyed exploring all the beautiful and interesting little pieces of art that you make all around the world. Thanks for following and for all your contributions and comments.

I thought it was time for some changes and improvements. I would like to make an even better blog for you. Therefore I have made a redesign of the ArtForward blog and moved it to www.artforward.dk.

Among the updates are:

• A dynamic layout and new graphic design
• An easy overview of different artists – instead of just one artist at a time
• Featured artists
• Easy access to popular posts – now with images
• See comments from other readers
• Find inspiration based on category or tags – now with images
• All the content from this (old) blog has been exported to the new blog – so you won’t miss anything going to the new blog

Welcome at the new blog: www.artforward.dk. You are most welcome to contribute with a comment or ideas for jewellers to feature on the blog. Please make sure to update your RSS feed (the new RSS feed is: http://www.artforward.dk/feed/) so that you can keep updated.

I will blog about contemporary jewellery at www.artforward.dk from now on. See you there and WELCOME.

Alidra Alic, Denmark

Take a look at this fantastic collection ‘alice’s adventures in wonderland’ by Alidra Alic.

At her website Alidra Alic writes about herself and her work:

Alidra Alic represents the company and is the sole proprietor. She has established a unique position for the company by creating a conceptual universe within contemporary jewellery. Her work and approach is based on a knowledge of artisinal goldsmith traditions and an academic background in art history & contemporary art.
The hallmark of her works is handcrafted contemporary jewellery pieces. The jewellery pieces are statements of art and are worn by those who dare. They are also found at exhibitions at international galleries & museums.
In addition to the company’s contemporary work Alidra has launched a fine jewellery collection – an interpreted series of wearable pieces.

More from Rebecca Deans, USA

As promised yesterday here is more of the work from Rebecca Deans.

Rebecca Deans, USA

I will post more from Rebecca Deans the following days – if you can’t wait take a look at her website.

Elke Munkert, Germany

You find much more at her website.

News from Katja Prins, The Netherlands

I just received this image of new work by Katja Prins – thanks Katja for sending it to me. The necklace is called “Bound By Blood” and has it’s own story:

“This necklace brings together and mixes various prayer-necklaces, which only differ in detail.
Prayerbeads are being used in several religions and they all have their own systematical design.
The beads stands for the different prayers and by following the beads you can count and can’t loose track while you are praying.
The Roman-Catholic church has the ‘rosary”, the Islam has the “tespi”, Buddhism (Nichiren) has the “juzu” and Tibethan Buddism has the “mala”.

Nowadays we are living in a time of globalization.
Worldwide people are connecting more and more, not only economically, but also politically and culturally.
Borders are fading and people travel and migrate more than ever. Out of that comes integration of different cultures and religions.
Partly because of the not always so very successful integration-policy of many countries, extremism in certain religions also flourishes, conflicts arise.
With my interpretation of the prayer-necklace I want to bring together all prayer-necklaces and make 1 out of it all.
A contemporary blood red prayer necklace.
In my opinion the religions don’t differ so much from one another, they differ mostly in details.
That’s what I want to show with this necklace.
By bringing together all the prayerbeads, symbolically I want to bring together the different religions and with that the people.
The title “Bound by Blood” stands for the idea that on the inside we are all the same.
It also refers to the many wars (and with that the shedding of a lot of blood) that have been fought in the name of religion. “

Find more at her website.

Mona Wallström, Sweden

These pieces are from a collection called “Ode to F.” She writes about the collection:

“F. was my grandmother. She was a strong, active and very central person in my family. I loved her very much. She had lived through hard times, many sorrows as well as joy, and still had a good life. Her home was a meeting place for people in the village and there was always someone hanging around, sometimes as a long-term stay but also just coming by to say hello. F. was a dedicated social democrat and loved Olof Palme and has their sign, the rose, on her tombstone.
F. liked to redecorate her home, but she only had things that were useful. Things that were given to her she really tried hard to find use for, but if it didn´t succeed she gave them away.
When we were shopping she was concerned about everything she was buying. Looking at china she was always looking at the bottom side to check the quality.

When she died there only left the things she used for her everyday life – no nostalgia, nothing gathered and left. “

Here you find more images from the collection as well as more of her work.

Sofia Björkman, Sweden

Sifia Björkman is part of the Gallery Platina – find more about her here.

Kirsten Spuijbroek, Holland

Here you find her website.

Mette Saabye, Denmark

I have received these images from Mette Saabye – thanks Mette. The jewellery has been accepted as part of Collect. At Collect she is represented by Galleri Louise Smit.

“The new work by Mette Saabye is based on the theme of Remembrance. Each work refers to a special occasion.
Different found objects are covered up in different ways and sealed. The layers of textile, paint or lacquer are a metaphor of time that has pasted.
I will not unveil what is in the centre of each work people have to live with the secret or break the jewel.”