Jorge Manilla, Jonathan Hens
Laurent Max De Cock, Velislava Bozhinova
Max Gielis, Barbara Deriemaeker
K. Frisson, K. Lanneer
Silke Fleischer, Ilse Claus
Hilde Van Belleghem, Tineke Carels
Michel Mousset, Brigitte Mathieu
The TWEEX 3 project
In a co-production with La Vénerie, Françoise Vanderauwera and Bernard François present a third overview of master-student knowledge transfer in four Belgian colleges and art academies on the subject of "designer jewellery".
Photos:
Jorge Manilla, teacher
Laurent Max De Cock, teacher
Artesis Plantijn University College is a brand new university college, originating from Artesis University College and Plantijn University College.
AP's 9000 students, 23 vocational educations and 8 art programmes, are clustered into 4 faculties and 2 schools of arts. Even though AP University College is very young, its schools of arts have a long history: the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp was founded in 1898, and the Royal Academy of Fine arts is 350 years old.
Bachelor and master programme in visual arts jewellery design & gold- and silversmithing
Teachers
Wieke Aerts, Laurent-Max De Cock, Jorge Manilla Navarete, Ingrid Meeuwis, Marc Ribbens, Christoph Zellweger, with the participation of Nedda El-Asmar, teacher from 2007 to 2014
and homage to Wim Ibens
KASKA Atelier 35 founder
Our urge for decoration, in which jewels and objects are the most important means of identification and expression, is both universal and timeless. Jewels and objects tell a story about the status and style, mentality, character and culture of the person using them.
At the same time they are a witness of social, cultural and technological developments.
That is why jewelry design, gold- and silversmithing is such an exciting and many-faceted profession that, although it is founded on a rich craft tradition, is nevertheless subject to ongoing development.
The educational programme for the Jewelry design, Gold- and Silversmithing course of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, closely follows developments in this professional domain. The focus lies on the development of individual talent, creativity and the self-motivation of the student, by means of research, content development and self-reflection.
In addition, attention is paid to the technical skills and practical insight needed for the craft. Technology and know-how of materials, gemology and the history of jewels and 3D computer drawing, make this course an exciting voyage of discovery, where curiosity and imagination are continuously stimulated.
Throughout the course, visits to crafts and industrially oriented company workshops and (international) guest lecturers play an important role
Eric Ubben, Director
Photos:
Max Gielis, teacher
Peter Vermandere, teacher
The Etterbeek/Woluwe School of Arts, better known in Brussels and in Belgium more generally as RHoK, sees itself as a cultural platform where an international public can find a focus and a touchstone for their artistic work.
The teaching team, who have artistic careers of their own, guarantee thorough training for children, young people and adults alike.
So RHoK creates a professionally structured environment in which personal mentoring and a collective dynamic lead each individual student towards a self-development that is both authentic and innovative.
The workshops are the backbone of the academy. Here, the approach to technical knowledge and artistic insights is a critical one. During their studies, the students learn to set targets for themselves and to think investigatively. Their specialised teacher takes on a coaching role.
The academy encourages the students to get more deeply involved with contemporary art. The insights that they gain are valid instruments for taking a broader look at the world and themselves.
Assessment is continuous. During the annual assessment, all the facets of a work corpus are evaluated by the workshop's various teaching staff.
Students in the 4th Higher Grade and the 2nd Specialisation Grade are required to submit their work to an external jury.
The APP (Artistic Teaching Programme) of RHoK – Etterbeek/Sint-Pieters-Woluwe School of Arts – is drawn up through
consultation. It can evolve in line with social and artistic developments.
Gold- and Silversmithing - RHoK Etterbeek
Teachers
Max Gielis, Saskia Van Wijnsberghe, Peter Vermandere
Few things are as fundamental as the relationship between our bodies and the objects that are closest to us. We build that relationship.
And few art forms conjure up such varied images. From costly status symbols to hyper-individualistic avant-garde jewellery made with recycled materials. Every onlooker, it seems, has a different viewpoint. In the Gold- and Silversmithing workshops, we investigate the relationship between objects and bodies. The value of each aspect is tested anew during the training. Right from the outset, students are confronted with design, experimentation, and the development and achievement of their ideas. This goes hand in hand with learning to work the materials. We start with classic metalworking techniques, but rapidly open this up to a broad spectrum of materials. The first three years centre both on gaining a personal view of body ornament art and on acquiring a solid technical foundation. The ultimate aim of this workshop is to enable students to express themselves independently through their jewellery creations.
Thierry Verhellen, Director
Photos:
Silke Fleischer, teacher
Hilde Van Belleghem, teacher
Kathleen Frisson, teacher
City Academy of Fine Arts (SASK) in Sint Niklaas is part of part-time artistic education (DKO) where children, youth and adults can follow several artistic training.
In the gold- and silversmithing workshop at the City Academy of Fine Arts in Sint Niklaas, the three teachers give individual tuition in jewellery design.
Teachers
Hilde Van Belleghem, Kathleen Frisson, Silke Fleischer
Research into techniques, materials and creative processes is the centrepiece of this training. Assignments give students the scope and space to develop their own visual language, as regards both form and content.
Visits to exhibitions at home and abroad, attendance at guest lectures and participation in exhibition projects broaden the students' vision. In this way, they gain insights into the possibilities of "contemporary ornaments".
The training leads up to the point when they present their own collections to a specialised professional jury.
Niko Van Stichel, Director ad interim
Photo: Michel Mousset, teacher
Almost 150 years ago, the Academy of Fine Arts in Châtelet came into being as a section of the town's Industrial School. Over the 15 decades of its existence, it has seen many changes, both structurally and organisationally, and today it is among the 23 schools that offer teaching, subsidised by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, in the field of plastic, visual and spatial arts.
In 1988, Michel Mousset played an active role in the creation of the Jewellery Workshop. It has kept on developing ever since, and today it has an intake of no less than 80 students per academic year. Michel Mousset already has a proven reputation, but it is important to recall his complete dedication to passing on his Art, from which so many students have been, and still are, lucky enough to benefit in the Châtelet academy.
Teacher: Michel Mousset
Since 1988, Michel Mousset has been teaching at the Gustave Camus Academy of Drawing and Decorative Arts in Châtelet. This type of reduced-hours course is aimed at adults from all walks of life. An overall programme is laid down by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. This programme forms the backbone of the
course, and is adjusted to meet the needs of the students' own approaches.
During their time at the Academy, the students are brought face to face with as many technical constraints as possible, which we discover and experience together. This knowledge contributes to each person's personality and autonomy. So the package that is passed on includes a set of techniques, creativity, autonomy, tricks of the trade and so on.
A student's creativity is the most difficult aspect to tackle, as it entails very cautiously suggesting ways forward without intervening too directly in the student's work. Fortunately, we have more and more substantial documentation available for us to consult, as well as the profusion of artistic work to be seen online.
When students start producing objects in a language all of their own, responding to the various criteria in the choice of one or more materials, and in the techniques and the finish applied, the teacher's mission has been accomplished.
The jewellery workshop is a place for learning and for exchanges between the students and the teacher. Experiences are shared and each person takes what they need to achieve their project.
David Ketelbuters, Director
