The winner of this year’s Visual Arts Award in the Design category, jewellery designer Guðbjörg Kristín Ingvarsdóttir, has brought a refreshing new approach to Icelandic jewellery design.
Guðbjörg trained as a goldsmith and jewellery designer at the Institute for Precious Metals in Copenhagen. In 1999 she founded Aurum on Bankastræti in central Reykjavík, a jewellery shop and design business. The premises were recently enlarged and improved; at the opening Guðbjörg presented four new jewellery ranges.
In recent years Guðbjörg has gained a reputation for her personal and refined style. Her inspiration springs from many sources: from nature, geometric forms and the Icelandic craft tradition. Each jewellery range is unique, and they vary in scope; but for each range of jewellery Guðbjörg has chosen a woman’s name, such as Alda, Blær, Dögg and Ísold. The names reflect the ideas behind each jewellery range. Aurum jewellery is thus based upon modern design and methodology, yet with the timeless appeal of the classic.
Guðbjörg’s jewellery design has attracted attention both in Iceland and in many other countries, and she was won various awards for her design. She has participated in a large number of exhibitions since 1995, and articles about her have been published around the world.
Guðbjörg Kristín answers the Iceland Design Centres questionnaire:
The motivation?
The pleasure of seeing my ideas evolve into their final form.
The process?
I make all the original models myself. Over the years I’ve learned to handle the metal and understand its qualities, and gone on to develop certain methods which have worked well for me. I generally start with a more-or-less fully-formed idea in mind, which I then make direct in the metal.
The vision?
To be receptive to changes, and to spot opportunities in Zeitgeist.
Does design matter?
Yes, I believe that through good design we help people discover new things, which is conducive to progress, technical advances and enhanced quality of life.
What makes good design?
Something which touches people and makes them aware, in a constructive way. Something which evokes pleasure and understanding, for instance by beauty of form, effectiveness, quality or comfort.
What’s most interesting at present?
Working in a new setting – now my studio is in the same place as my shop, Aurum, which makes my work at lot easier. It’s also interesting to see people’s response to the new look of the shop – it’s a big change, and I like to hear people’s views. We’ve had a very favourable response. And I’m very pleased to have managed to finish the new jewellery ranges before Christmas - it’s always exciting to see an idea become a reality.
The design of all time?
The Ericofon telephone, also known as Cobra, is one of the things I feel stand
out. I remember that phone from when I was young: Ericsson put it on the market in 1956. The design of the phone combines beauty and efficiency, and it‘s an amazingly modern design for its time. The Ericofon led to other telephone manufacturers realising the importance of design. As for more recent design, I find Ron Arod’s lamp Pizza Kobra amazingly cool and well-conceived. I’ve always been very interested in lights.
Global/local:
We should focus on creating new opportunities, and building up a new, exciting Iceland, where people have faith in their dreams and their future, When such dreams come true, projects results which will attract attention not only in Iceland, but elsewhere. When an idea is a good one, local can easily become global.