In 1959, the Department of Clothing, Haberdashery and Journal Graphics at the State Higher School of Fine Arts in Łódź established the Haberdashery Studio, which was organised by Lena Kowalewicz-Wegner. This studio marked the beginning of teaching jewellery design at the Łódź university.
We are unable to detach ourselves from the aggressiveness of the proportions contained within us. Whether we want to or not, forms have an effect. Therefore, every (worn) detail must bear the mark of art. This beauty in form has a significant educational impact on people (Lena Kowalewicz-Wegner).
Although for years this field of design has had to strive for autonomy and understanding in the world, so as not to be treated as an accessory to clothing, decoration, or investment, Łódź educators have always emphasised the connections between artistic jewellery and art. Generations of students gained knowledge and skills, first in a studio within the Department of Clothing at the Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź, and since 2002, in a separate Department of Jewellery, which transformed into the current Institute of Jewellery. Since 2019, jewellery design has become a field of study, and the Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź is the only art school in Poland offering educational opportunities in this area.
Good jewellery is an object that carries a clear message. The correct combination in the realisation of several elements – form, materials, and technology – enables the story to be read correctly. Naturally, without establishing the purpose of the story, it is difficult to choose the right means of expression. The main narrator of the story can be the form, the material, or the chosen technology. This is precisely what we try to teach at our Jewellery Institute, in addition to the classic craft. Experimentation, the search for new materials and technologies, is an important part of education. This idea is inscribed in the „spirit” of the individual – summarised Prof. Andrzej Boss.
Exhibition „65”
Host: Jewellery Institute at the Władysław Strzemiński Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź
Location: Copper Museum, ul. Partyzantów 3
3rd April – 2nd June 2024
Exhibition curators: Dr hab. Olga Podfilipska-Krysińska, University Professor, Dr Michalina Owczarek-Siwak
Exhibition catalogue for download HERE