‘What do we actually see when we look?’
The creative process of jewellery design
An insect with perforated wings, an ant with night vision and a beetle with hindquarters so curved it cannot crawl back into its hideaway. Every design is full of intricate, precise details, nothing appears to be simply random inspiration. Yet Tina Gjersen-Sav describes the creation of the jewelry as more spiritual than rational.
‘90% of the jewelry is conceived in the drawing process itself. I do a sketch where I’m not really thinking, but tapping into a creative flow that connects with themes I reflect on. The sketch virtually flows of its own accord, but there is always an intention, a direction. In the end, I end up with the sketch of an insect that has its own personality and history, and tells something insistent about the times we live in.’
Afterwards, the insect is crafted in her studio from silver and gold. Yet the process is not as manual as it might sound because the materials come alive in the artist’s hands, engaging her in a sensory interaction. By respecting the nature of the metals and not forcing them into a given shape, an alliance arises; a dance between the artist and the emerging design.
THE JEWELLERY
Artisan goldsmith Gjersen-Sav crafts rings, pendants, earrings, bracelets and brooches inspired by her natural surroundings in South Funen, Denmark and on her travels, including summer sailing around the South Funen archipelago. Most of her designs are born out of her personal view of the world around her. Aesthetically, she has developed her own style, which is at once contemporary, freely creative and naturalistic.
SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS
Being a goldsmith, for me, is about connecting to the primordial.
Gjersen-Sav works in the classic materials of the formally trained goldsmith, combining silver and various gold alloys with gemstones and pearls she hand picks from her expert suppliers, or on her travels. Here too, the idea of sustainability is paramount: Tina works as far as possible only with bio-gold and bio-silver, which is recycled metal that works like new, without mining. All pearls and stones are as far as possible from suppliers that ensure high ethical standards, preferably with traceability and transparency in relation to e.g. origin and mining and/or with a certificate.
MY JEWELERY PORTRAIT FOR DITLEV TAMM
I gave myself this task because I wanted to explore how it affects my creative process when a piece of jewelry already has a specific recipient. I wanted to investigate how this influences the creation process. Questions such as: “Can I be free in my interpretation, even when the recipient is known?” and “Will a customer accept that premise, and will the piece hit the mark?” were central to the process. Since I see Ditlev Tamm as a brave and exciting person, I chose to portray him in this project.