GJEPC Artisan Design Jewellery Awards 2024: A Celebration of Wearable Artworks & Crafts

Mumbai : South Mumbai’s Ice Factory, Ballard Estate, gears up to host the biggest Wearable Artworks & Crafts Design Fest on February 12-13, featuring The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council’s (GJEPC) Artisan Design Jewellery Awards 2024. As the apex body of trade in India, supported by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, GJEPC aims to celebrate the love for art, design, and jewellery at this two-day event, placing ‘Jewellery as Art’ at the forefront.

The final judging round for the 7th edition of The Artisan Awards 2024, Powered by GIA, took place on January 22, 2024. From over 600 entries worldwide, including countries like India, Canada, USA, Bahrain, Egypt, Dubai, and Pakistan, the jury selected 6 winners from the unconventional themes of ‘Unusual Materials’ and ‘Objet Trouvé.’

Themes that Challenge and Inspire: ‘Unusual Materials’ and ‘Objet Trouvé’

The Artisan Awards 2024 explores unconventional themes, challenging jewellery designers to push boundaries. ‘Objet Trouvé’ delves into art crafted from visibly altered yet atypical objects that serve as art materials due to their non-art function. The challenge here is to reimagine a piece of jewellery by taking an object from the past and giving it a modern form. This theme encourages the use of ‘found objects’ like vintage poker chips, antique coins, shells, Venetian glass beads, buttons, and more.

On the other hand, ‘Unusual Materials’ urges designers to create a dialogue between the familiar and unexpected by combining contrasting materials, with at least 50% being precious materials. This opens up possibilities to experiment with materials like cement, titanium, wood, porcelain, bamboo, slate, meteorite, glass, recycled plastic, leather, and beyond.

The Vision and Impact of The Artisan Jewellery Design Awards

Vipul Shah, Chairman of GJEPC, expressed the council’s vision to redefine the landscape of jewellery design, aligning with the government’s ‘Design in India’ campaign. The competition aims to position India as a global design hub and encourage a creative environment for designers. Milan Chokshi, Convener of Promotion & Marketing at GJEPC, highlighted the increasing significance of The Artisan Awards globally. He noted that the award serves as a driving force, inspiring designers, students, and manufacturers to create thematic jewels at the highest level of craftsmanship.

Esteemed Jury and Technical Experts

The esteemed jury for The Artisan Awards 2024 included Alice Cicolini, a renowned UK jewellery designer; Biren Vaidya, Managing Director of The Rose Group; Payal Singhal, Fashion Designer; Apoorva Deshingkar, Senior Director of Education and Market Development at GIA India; and Toktam Shekarriz, a Dubai-based jewellery designer. The technical jury comprised experts like Devinder Layal, Meenal Choksi, Sushama Kalzunkar Sawant, Janki Choksi, and Gunjan Sapra.

Praise from the Jury

Alice Cicolini commended the competition for encouraging designs using unconventional materials and exploring global trends. She praised the freedom afforded to young designers in India, allowing their imaginations to take flight. Payal Singhal was fascinated by the innovative materials used and the creation of pieces that could endure for generations. She emphasized the role of The Artisan Awards in elevating jewellery into wearable art.

GJEPC’s Commitment to Creative Expression

GJEPC’s commitment to nurturing the creative spark within designers is evident through competitions like The Artisan Jewellery Design Awards. The council actively promotes innovative designs, pushing the boundaries of traditional constraints. As India’s premier design accolade, The Artisan Awards contribute to the evolution of jewellery as a form of artistic expression, going beyond ceremonial or status symbols.