A connection serves the purpose of making two or more separate details become a part of a bigger union. We are all surrounded by connections which can be mechanical, chemical, biological, social, philosophical or metaphysical. There are many different types of connections: fixed and mobile, material and immaterial, rational and emotional, reversible and irreversible, direct and indirect, visible and invisible, literal or metaphorical.
The famous designer Charles Eames said: “Eventually everything connects – people, ideas, objects. The quality of the connections is the key to quality per se.”
In jewellery we use lots of different connections: soldering, welding or casting , rivets, screws and nails. We can glue, stitch and bind things together; use slots, folds or hooks and we can base design decisions on conceptual or formal aesthetic connections in the composition of jewellery pieces, or we refer to associative or metaphorical connections.
In this workshop you will explore the cosmos of connections. During an introducing lecture showing lots of examples Daniela Malev will take you on a journey through ways of connections in the world around us and in arts, crafts and jewellery. Throughout the workshop you will be guided through exercises on different types of connections and with different materials.
Diving into exploring connections will lead to new design ideas or give new impulses on designs you are already working on. The conscious choice of connections in a jewellery piece is enhancing its character and message. It should be chosen with care and seen as an important and integrated part of the design. To say it with the words of Charles and Ray Eames: “The details are not details; they make the design! “
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Daniela Malev is a jeweller and teacher. Trained as a goldsmith in her hometown Dresden, Germany, she also holds a Master Craftman´s Certificate for Gold- and Silversmithing and studied Jewellery Design at Staatliche Zeichenakademie Hanau.
She concluded her formal studies with a BA and MFA degree in Gemstone and Jewellery Design at the University of Applied Sciences Trier/Idar-Oberstein, Germany.
Her jewellery work is inspired by a sense of order behind all things. Her jewellery pieces are made of contrasting materials and complementary elements and aspects which become a unity.
One of her special fields of interest are brooch backs and pin mechanisms and their integration into the design of the whole brooch. She is convinced that mechanism and attachment of a brooch hold a tremendous potential for the design of a brooch in its entirety and need to be developed with equal importance. She has been invited internationally to give workshops and lectures on this subject. Her workshops initiate and encourage a conscious approach to the design of the brooch back and its mechanisms. The fact that there is a great interest in this field, but hardly any literature, inspired her to publish the book “To the Point – pin mechanisms and brooch back design”. Her new book “Connections” will be published soon.
Open to advanced and independent individuals.
| Lenght | Teacher | Dates | Schedule | Cost | Cost of materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24h | Daniela Malev | From Friday October 10th to Sunday 12th 2025 | 9 h à 17 h | 325$ | To be determined |
Prerequisite : Having completed Level 5 of the basic jewelry techniques training or its equivalent.
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