❝CONNECTIONS❞

Exploring Identity, Tradition, and Innovation in Contemporary Jewellery

What does belonging in a world shaped by diverse cultures and shifting geographies mean? How can the traditions of the past inspire innovation for the future?

❝CONNECTIONS❞ is an exhibition born from a collaborative workshop between Geneva University of Art and Design (HEAD – Genève) and Central Saint Martins, bringing together emerging designers to explore these questions through the lens of contemporary jewellery.

To inspire their creative process, students delved into narratives, symbols, and objects from folklore—exploring traditional knowledge, stories, and myths often passed down orally through generations. Drawing from these cultural traditions, they created works that bridge the pre-digital, pre-industrial age with today’s technology-driven world. The resulting pieces are both deeply rooted in cultural identity and boldly forward-looking.

Jewellery has always held meaning beyond adornment: it tells stories and signifies belonging. In ❝CONNECTIONS❞, these narratives are reframed and renewed. Traditional techniques intersect with tools such as artificial intelligence, 3D printing, and computer-aided design, creating an interplay between the handmade and the digitally crafted. Each piece invites the viewer to consider how the old and the new, the tactile and the virtual, coexist in the evolving language of ornamentation.

The exhibition also highlights the power of intercultural exchange, as designers reflect on their cultural identities and geographical environments. By revisiting traditional ornaments from their respective countries, they examine what it means to belong while embracing the creative opportunities of cross-cultural dialogue. The resulting works capture the essence of connection—weaving together the personal and the universal, the familiar and the foreign.

In ❝CONNECTIONS❞, jewellery becomes more than an object: it is a bridge between worlds, a dialogue between generations, and a testament to the endless possibilities of shared creativity.

ABOUT BA IN PRODUCT DESIGN – JEWELLERY AND ACCESSORY

Geneva University of Art and Design (HEAD – Genève)

HEAD – Genève is the only university in Switzerland to offer a bachelor’s course in Jewellery and Accessory Design, specializing in personal products such as watches, jewellery, and accessories, including “smart” products.

The course focuses on the design and manufacture of these products, from single items to entire collections. Students acquire technical skills and knowledge of materials while mastering the design process and project methodology.

Watch Design is taught in collaboration with leading watch manufacturers and industry experts.

Renowned for the quality of its BA and MA degrees in Fine Arts, Cinema, Interior Architecture, Space and Communication, Visual Communication, Media Design, as well as Fashion and Accessory Design, HEAD – Genève has established itself as one of Europe’s leading art and design schools.

🔗 www.head-geneve.ch

ABOUT BA JEWELLERY DESIGN

Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London

The BA Jewellery Design course at Central Saint Martins encourages students to explore a variety of approaches to the discipline, questioning the position, role, and materiality of jewellery in a contemporary context.

The program supports students in developing their individual creative identity and expressing their personal interpretation of jewellery. The work created on this course challenges the future of the jewellery discipline with thoughtful and skilfully executed outcomes.

Students engage with cultural and ethical issues relevant to jewellery design, critically examining the implications of jewellery manufacture. Industry partnerships and external collaborations, such as this project, are integral to their creative and professional development.

🔗 www.arts.ac.uk

❝CONNECTIONS❞

Galleria Objets
London E1 6RL

📅 Opening Event
🗓 13 February 2025
⏰ 6:00 – 8:00 PM

📍 Visiting Hours
🗓 14 – 15 February 2025
⏰ 12:00 – 6:00 PM


This exhibition is supported by Presence Switzerland.