The series of works „The Alchemist's Sister” by Kelly McCallum, created for an exhibition at the International Amber Association Gallery in Gdansk, can come across as a strange collection of artefacts from another era, or, when the imagination is triggered, as a self-existing other world. It is a mixture of archaeology, cryptozoology and the dreams of a mad scientist.
In the works of this series, the hierarchy of materials has been eliminated - alongside large, beautiful lumps of Baltic amber from Poland, the artist used broken crumbs, as well as post-production pieces with characteristic rounded edges, bearing traces of industrial polishing. That which is valuable and that which is less valuable was treated and presented equally, without adhering to any hierarchy. Although this may seem strange or even frustrating to some amber lovers, the author felt it was equally legitimate to treat it as a pure material, as something to be studied and analysed, rather than an object of veneration placed on a pedestal.
As with many of McCallum's other works, these works provoke the viewer to ask questions about their meaning. Insects - whether in their original form or cut up and transformed into intricate flowers, seeds, flower-like forms, made of multicoloured crushed resin, forming a kind of thicket - wait to be explored for the story hidden within them. Alongside them, the skulls of small mammals and other small objects seem to acquire some kind of essential meaning. It is up to the viewer's imagination to fill in the details and make sense of the metaphors contained in the mysterious objects.
Although meanings and forms often cross and intermingle, three main themes can be identified: insect-flowers, raising the question of whether they were collected or created in this fantasy world; some kind of strange evolution. Finally, the seemingly alien elements here, reminiscent of seeds, small fruits and nuts, both on their own and placed on the surface of an amber background, may be questionable until it becomes clear that they too have been made from amber, which has been ground into variously coloured fine powders and then poured into specially prepared moulds. They are reminiscent of specimens, spells or collections collected by young children. These are associations close to the artist, who has always considered herself to be a kind of magpie, a collector of seemingly ordinary yet strange things, with a high regard for their uniqueness.
Kelly McCallum - British artist acclaimed for her rich and imaginative work, combining jewellery, wearable art, sculpture, painting and works on paper. Her unique aesthetic draws on themes of natural history, mythology, self-narration and storytelling, creating a unique voice in contemporary art and designer jewellery.
Exhibition „The Alchemist's Sister”
Gallery of the International Amber Association in Gdansk
Opening: 27.03.2026, 20:00
Curator: Giedymin Jablonski
More information: kellymccallum.com
