Crawling with creativity
AUCKLAND PARK– The winners of the Thuthuka jewellery was recently announced at a gala opening event at FADA.
The winners of the Thuthuka Jewellery Development Progamme and Jewellery Awards 2014/2015 were announced at the Gala Opening of the 2015 Exhibition, at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) FADA Gallery on 20 February.
The Thuthuka Jewellery Awards is an annual competition that provides a national platform for student jewellers to have their work professionally showcased.
Winning designers were awarded bursaries, as well as prizes in the form of tools essential to the jewellery practice.
The awards were presented by founder and director of the Thuthuka Project Carola Ross, and handed over by Professor Federico Freschi, Dean of the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture (FADA) at UJ.
“The most significant outcome is the students’ sense of pride, self-confidence and, above all, the ability to think critically and analytically, which is central to good design,” said Ross.
Out of 300 participants in 2014, the work of 125 finalists was presented at the 2015 exhibition, with 29 category winners and two overall winners. The winners in each category were selected by a panel of respected independent judges, including Elizabeth Loubser, Masana Chikeka, Tiaan Nagel, Albert Maree, Walter Oltman and Veronica Anderson.
The competition encouraged students to stretch themselves beyond their normal daily curriculum.
It challenged students to construct multifunctional contemporary pieces inspired by South African insects.
According to Ross, entrants were judged on how they interpreted the natural shapes, textures and unique patterning of insects and translated these into multifunctional jewellery pieces that can double up as shoe trimming, beautiful jewellery or hair accessories.
The 2015 University Category Overall Winners were Themba Mantshiyo from UJ and Malehlohonolo Moorosi from Ekurhuleni Jewellery Project.
Mantshiyo’s multifunctional design piece can be combined into a single shoe trimming or worn as earrings, a neck piece and a bracelet. The theme around the design was about a woman’s ability to multitask. Mantshiyo said his inspiration came from the many legs of a spider and his mother, who can do many different things at the same time.
Moorosi designed sterling silver, brass and copper rings and earrings with a heel piece which becomes a single drop earring. She is currently a level two student.
Mentor at the Thuthuka project Nikiwe Mathebula was very impressed with what the students came up with.
“It’s interesting to see how the students interpreted the theme. It’s been a long journey for the competitors, but I am very pleased with their turnout,” said Mathebula.
