In 2002 myself and Lin Cheung developed an idea for an exhibition that was concerned with issues of sentimental attachment to jewellery. We had become increasingly frustrated by our own lack of engagement with the opinions of ‘other people’; those who are not engaged with contemporary jewellery practice and theory.
Lin and I decided to mount an exhibition which combined our own jewellery work with a series of research projects and interactive gallery installations. In the run up to the show we also developed a questionnaire, which initiated some of our individual work.
The resulting exhibition, entitled Treasure, took place at The Pearoom Centre for Contemporary Craft (Lincolnshire) in 2003.
The various projects associated with Treasure did not conclude within the exhibition itself. Instead Treasure was an exhibition of raw data, which asked the viewer to draw their own conclusions as to whether anything interesting was found. Subsequently however, some specific areas have emerged within our respective practices that are directly descended from the information gathered for Treasure. These now represent our conclusions from that project, but they do not necessarily answer questions: they ask new ones.
The Pearoom Centre for Contemporary Craft relocated to Sleaford, and is now The National Centre for Craft & Design.