Origin 2010; Skin Collection, Nuntaka Nophun
Origin started Thursday in a new venue in the heart of London’s Spitalfield’s market. Branded in purple, a giant purple box sheltered the over 200 designers who are part of this year’s exhibition. Co-ordinating purple cubes were dotted around the market, guiding visitors to the event.
Skin collection, Nuntaka Nophun
We spotted the work of jewellery designer Nuntaka Nophun, who graduated from the MA jewellery course at Edinburgh College of Art in 2009 and is still based in the city. Her Skin collection is based around silicone rubber and oxidised silver and for Origin Nuntaka has developed a more commercial version of her degree project, featuring a series of rings, button earrings and brooches. We especially loved the rings, where the silicone appears to burst out of its silver container, as if alive.
Cross Pollination & Foetal Position, Michelle Griffiths
2010 is also Michelle Griffiths’ first visit to Origin. Based in Wales, Michelle specialises in adapting classic shibori techniques to create beautiful textured pieces. Michelle is showing her Cross Pollination series, inspired by images of flower heads, seed pods and magnified pollen. The pieces, including the blooms, are created from silk, and the background texture is an adopted form of the Kumo shibori pattern. The corner piece is entitled Foetal Position and took six months to complete – as with the other pieces, it is stitched and then unstitched to create semi-permanent pleating.
Secret Garden, Momocreatura
Momocreatura designed by Momoko Tamura features jewellery that expresses both the light and dark side of life. A 2009 MA jewellery graduate from Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design, Momoko creates tiny animals in oxidised silver that seem to be trapped in a somewhat Brueghel-eque nightmare – in chains, hung, or impaled.
Taking inspiration from European antique jewellery of the 16th-19th centuries as well as Japanese underground culture, the pieces are more akin to wearable mini sculptures. Momoko’s newest collection Secret Garden includes rings set with the tiniest roses, which are in turn inset with even tinier skulls. Look out for the excellent hairpins – including Kebab Animals – hare, mouse, and owl skewered on a stick.
