A contemporary jeweller designer has devised a creative exchange project to help those struggling in self isolation.
In response to the COVID-19 lockdown, artist Amelie Becher is offering an exchange of creativity to ninety nine participants from around the world. From her company Amelie Atelier based in Bangalow near Lismore in NSW, Amelie will collaborate virtually via email and video chats with each participant in order to design a ring, pendant or talisman that Amelie will then create using the ancient art of sand casting, recycling each participant’s unworn sterling silver to create the new piece.
Amelie is a jeweller who trained in Melbourne, establishing her contemporary jewellery brand over the past decade, with a consulting studio in Brunswick Victoria, and her atelier in Bangalow NSW.
“I choose to focus on what we CAN do right now, not on what we can’t.”
Amelie plans to exchange a custom hand crafted item of jewellery with a creative offering from each of the participants in her 99 Creative Intentions Project. The “creative offering” participants are asked to send to Amelie includes any broken or unworn sterling silver to use in the production of their item as well as a letter telling Amelie about themselves and sharing any positives they’re noticing around them since COVID-19 entered our world.
During the collaborative design process Amelie will assist participants to find their own personal intention that she will hand stamp onto their recycled sterling silver before melting it and casting it into its new form.
The process of creation for each piece will be documented through photographs and video which will be shared throughout the project on the artist’s socials and at the end she will upload an online exhibition of all the 99 items that were collaboratively designed during the project.
The project begins on the 4th of April 2020 and takes place in the Amelie Atelier located within The Arts Yard, 99 Lismore Road in Bangalow NSW, Australia. The creative process can be enjoyed from the comfort of home through the Amelie Atelier socials.
Amelie says the aim of this project is to encourage people who are stuck at home to creatively engage, to look around themselves and see the positives in their current situation, look deep within themselves to discover their truth and set a personal intention that will help them through whatever hardship they may face.
“I wondered, what could I offer [people] to help them focus on positives to get through this. What could I offer to help them look within and uncover their own strengths and desires for their lives?”
Amelie is passionate about sustainable creative practice, using only ethically sourced materials and utilising existing resources wherever possible in her work. She strives to elevate jewellery from the disposable fast fashion world and instead chooses to create bespoke wearable artworks that serve as the ultimate method of self expression.
Amelie’s designs are imbued with personalised intention and purpose, crafted individually to form an intimate manifestation of their wearer.
Photography by Amelie www.amelieatelier. com and Arterium www.arterium.net
Insta @amelie_atelier_bangalow
FB @AmelieAtelierBangalow