There is no more interesting collection of ethnic jewellery from around the world in Poland; in my opinion, this is the most revealing (educationally and stylistically) part of the collection.
As a witness to the development of the phenomenon of „artistic goldsmithing” in its finest period, I am delighted that many iconic pieces characteristic of individual artists have been gathered together in a collection of contemporary Polish studio jewellery. Were it not for Magdalena Kwiatkiewicz's collecting passion, many of them would have been irretrievably dispersed around the world. Their thematic (rather than chronological) categorisation compels one to reinterpret familiar pieces anew. It is both highly inspiring and surprising to be able to look at many of them once again through a non-obvious interpretive key.
Special words of appreciation are due in equal measure to the architects and authors of the exhibition script – it was no easy feat, with such a high density of exhibits, to ensure the clarity of the narrative and maintain the quality of the display, which is consistently subordinated to the legible presentation of objects of such varied scale. True UX at the highest level.
The most promising space is the temporary exhibition zone, which – as we all hope – will be filled periodically with presentations of a quality and curatorial standard similar to the permanent exhibition. This is an important reason to visit the MoJA Museum on a regular basis.
My personal discovery was an unassuming object – a metal elephant – by Magdalena Abakanowicz, a cult figure in Polish contemporary art and an important artist connected with Poznań. Although her sculptural sketch isn't a classic piece of jewellery, it fits perfectly into the jewellery environment. The biggest surprise, however, were my own works from 1995-1997 – from my student days (although that's probably not the best calling card for over 30 years of design activity).
Prof. Sławomir Fijałkowski – heads the Experimental Design studio at the Faculty of Architecture and Design, Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk. He engages in product and jewellery design in collaboration with renowned manufacturers. Collections of his design have been presented at leading international jewellery fairs, including in Basel, Vicenza, Munich, Dubai, Paris, Las Vegas, Hong Kong, and Beijing.