Artist: Elfi Spiewack 
Location: Sheaff Family Gallery, Te Kōputu a te Whanga a Toi - Whakatāne Library and Exhibition Centre

The amalgamation of the past and present is reflected in Lyttelton-based contemporary jeweller Elfi Spiewack’s exhibition, In Splendour Moot. Jewellery has always been worn as a symbol of self-expression and identification even if the meaning, purpose, materials and designs have changed drastically over the centuries. Spiewack seeks to challenge preconceived ideas of jewellery by re-examining it, questioning material value and juxtaposing the beautiful and precious with the abject.

In this exhibition Spiewack reconstructs the traditional jewellery pieces worn by those of high social rank and importance in portrait paintings from the Renaissance, Baroque and Victorian era. She has taken reproductions of these paintings and edited out the original jewellery and re-created new responses with jewellery pieces which are presented 3-dimensionally on the flat surface of the paintings.

Elfi Spiewack is represented in galleries throughout New Zealand and has exhibited in numerous group and solo shows in New Zealand, Australia, Germany, The Netherlands and USA since 1993.

In Splendour Moot will open to the public on Saturday 20 April at 11am, alongside M/other.  On Saturday 11 May from 11am at Te Kōputu a te Whanga a Toi, Spiewack will speak about her practice and works in an artist talk with Ashburton Art Gallery Curator Shirin Khosraviani. 

This Exhibition is curated and toured by the Ashburton Art Gallery.


 

With thanks to: