Join Mary Curtis, Aphra Cheesman and Jack Hadley for three mini lectures on jewellery and practice.

Part 1: Mary Curtis: The Continuous Walk Towards A Zero Waste Jewellery Practice 

Mary Curtis shares "In 2020 I did a year-long course in permaculture . The project I took on for this course was to investigate how to make my practice more sustainable.  I examined 8 weeks’ worth of rubbish in my workshop bin and explored how I could recycle or eliminate the contents I found. My rubbish bin has remained empty ever since."

This talk will discuss the outcomes and the ongoing challenges of aiming for a zero waste jewellery practice. 

Part 2: Aphra Cheesman: Thinking Through Stuff 

Recent winner of the Talente Prize Aphra Cheesman will discuss her examination of everyday materials and objects within a contemporary jewellery practice.

Through her practice of observing, collecting and making she aims to discover our relationships with everyday objects and materials.

Part 3: Jack Hadley: Round Round

Hadley chimes in to share insights into Round Round, his new work just-opened in Objectspace's Cemac Foyer. He will discuss his research into mobile display mechanisms, the making and thinking behind of this new body of work, fishing lures, the Sugababes, and what any of these things have to do with the half bird, half woman from Greek mythology who lured sailors to destruction.

Mary Curtis has been making jewellery since the mid 1980’, has exhibited nationally and internationally and her work is held in public collections at Auckland War Memorial Museum and The Dowse Art Museum. Mary’s practice has a strong focus on sustainability, exploring ways to reduce waste and change behaviour around the use of resources. She was an art educator for 29 years during which time she was the Programme Leader for Jewellery at M.I.T. School of Visual Arts in Tāmaki Makaurau. She makes jewellery from her home-based workshop in Auckland and is represented by Fingers and Masterworks in Tāmaki Makaurau, Avid in Te Whanganui a Tara, Wellington and The National in Ōtautahi, Christchurch.

Aphra Cheesman (b. 1989, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a contemporary jeweller currently based in Naarm/Melbourne. Aphra’s practice includes jewellery, objects, drawing, video and sculpture. Her research examines our complex relationships with commonplace materials and objects, often considered in relation to the cycles of capitalism and other economic, social, political and environmental systems. Her work is often situated within the overlooked and in-between moments of everyday life and she has a daily practice of observing and collecting from which her research and creative works evolve. Aphra is participant in the HANDSHAKE Project (6 and 7). She was selected for the Gallery Marzee International Graduate Show (NL, 2019) and Talente (2022) where she won the Gestaltungspreise Prize.

Jack Hadley is an artist and educator based in Tāmaki Makaurau. He graduated from Elam School of Fine Arts with an MFA in 2020. Recently, he participated in the HANDSHAKE jewellery mentorship programme working with renowned jeweller Karl Frisch.

Spaces are limited and registration is essential. Join us for this special event co-inciding with your first chance to see Jack Hadley's Round Round

Mary Curtis

Aphra Cheesman

Jack Hadley