Jewellery workshop with Jennifer Laracy

In this quick-fire jewellery workshop you will get an exhilarating taster of what it’s like to be a jeweller. Use integral tools and techniques to create your own unique souvenir using a selection of materials including silver and pāua shell.

Suitable for beginners.

This workshop is presented in connection with Pāua: A Contemporary Jewellery Story on at The Dowse until November 20.

Jen Laracy - About the Artist
“During the 2020 lockdown I thought a lot about making in confinement—drawing parallels to POW life. Trench art was about social connection and the importance of pastimes like having a smoke while playing dice or cards. In contrast to traditional souvenirs, which are often about place, I wanted to make a series of objects that represented another time, while also highlighting the contribution of returned servicemen to the pāua story. It was a way for me to use motifs other than kiwiana like tiki and waka designs that were popularised by the mid-20th century souvenir industry.”

Using pāua from her grandad’s collection, Laracy acknowledges her own history as tauiwi (non-Māori) in Aotearoa New Zealand. Her works are bold, twenty-first century re-interpretations of a new kind of souvenir, which reflect her loving relationship with her grandad—based on a sketch he made for her, stories about the POW camp and objects popularised during his time as a maker.