The results of the Amber Craft competition, always announced at the Amberif trade fair in Gdańsk, which this year, due to the pandemic, was held online only, were unusually announced during the Gold Expo trade fair in Warsaw. Its 18th edition was tasked not only with showcasing the workshop skills and creativity of jeweller-craftsmen, but also with supporting them in the difficult pandemic situation.
In the current situation, the harsh rules of the market game present a huge challenge for professionals in this field to preserve its beauty and cultivate traditions that attest to national culture. The difficult period of the pandemic brought our industry to a standstill, with many companies collapsing or facing problems. I hope that the existing critical situation will not bring us to our knees and that the competition will continue in the coming years – summarised Waldemar Sawa, competition commissioner and Head of the Guild of Artistic Crafts in Gdańsk.
The competition was traditionally held in two age categories. The works were judged by a Competition Committee, which included: Małgorzata Wokacz-Zaborowska – chairperson of the competition committee, director of the Pomeranian Chamber of Crafts; Waldemar Sawa – competition commissioner, master of the Guild of Artistic Crafts; Sławomir Fijałkowski – professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk, and craftsmen Włodzimierz Luks, Andrzej Mikołajczyk, and Agnieszka Grabowicz. They awarded the following prizes:
in the juniors category:
1st place – Jagna Ciesielska for her work „Haven on an Amber Hill”
2nd place – Wojciech Łuckiewicz for the work „Sunflower”
3rd place – Izabela Smejda for the work „Treasure of the North”
The distinction was awarded to: Weronika Zarębska for her work „Amber Trail” and Artur Radkowski for his work „Girl with Amber”.”
in the seniors category:
1st place – Jacek Ostrowski for the work „Screwed”
Second place – Bohdan Hołub for the artwork „Beauty and Delicacy”
Third place – Krzysztof Bondaruk for the work „On the Other Side of the Water's Mirror...”
The „Amber Craft” competition aims to promote the skills of individuals holding journeyman and master qualifications – both seniors who have been practising the profession for many years, and juniors learning goldsmithing or just beginning their careers. The initiative was born among goldsmith artisans who value quality, professionalism, artistry, and expertise in the art of goldsmithing. Goldsmithing is one of the oldest vocational fields of craftsmanship, and their products are often works of art. The competition is organised by the Branch Commission of Goldsmiths and Jewellers at the Pomeranian Chamber of Crafts for Small and Medium Enterprises in Gdańsk.
In the work of goldsmiths, technologies, raw materials, and methods of producing items change, but manual skills and artistic flair remain on the first place. Participating in a competition is a kind of challenge and an opportunity to showcase the author's skills and have them evaluated by experts in this profession – explained Waldemar Sawa.
