{"id":1293,"date":"2018-03-09T20:11:32","date_gmt":"2018-03-09T20:11:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/miriamhanid.com\/?p=1293"},"modified":"2020-07-17T11:14:03","modified_gmt":"2020-07-17T11:14:03","slug":"radiance-centrepiece","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/miriamhanid.com\/?p=1293","title":{"rendered":"Radiance Centrepiece"},"content":{"rendered":"

Britannia Silver, 50x50x5cm. <\/strong>Hand chased and repouss\u00e9 chased on pitch and formed with nylon and wooden tools.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Commissioned by The Goldsmiths Company in 2017 for The 2014\/15 Prime Warden’s Special Commission.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Miriam_Hanid_Awards_2018\"<\/a>Since preparing this blog for publication, and running a series of posts on my Instagram account charting its making, I have won a number of awards for my Radiance Centrepiece, so I hope you will enjoy reading this all the more. I am thrilled to add details of the awards, received at Goldsmiths\u2019 Hall on 26th February 2018 during the Goldsmiths\u2019 Craft and Design Awards ceremony, affectionately known as the \u2018Jewellery Oscars\u2019.<\/p>\n

I am most proud of receiving the Goldsmiths\u2019 Company Award for Radiance which is given at the discretion of the Council for exceptional and outstanding design in 2D and 3D entries. It is only awarded when, in the Council\u2019s judgement, an entry achieves the highest standard of design and originality. I am doubly proud and grateful that the vote achieved \u2018a clear majority\u2019! The citation states that<\/p>\n

\"M_Hanid_Radiance_Centrepiece\"<\/a>\u201cthe winner of this prestigious Award has beautifully demonstrated how a designer can absorb, harness and brilliantly utilise a deep rooted and traditional craft technique to fabulous visual statements of design, and like a good piece of jewellery, this looks as good on both the front and back. It flows, shows liquid qualities and is on a scale that mesmerises and captures great attention and admiration. It is a fine example of a designer making the technique of chasing come alive and offer outstanding aesthetics.\u201d<\/h4>\n

I also received a Gold Award for Chasing and The Senior Award \u2013 this is given to an entrant who has shown outstanding performance in the competition. The Goldsmiths Council described the Radiance centrepiece as “a fabulous demonstration and utilisation of the traditional technique of chasing”. A bronze award was also given for the silversmithing design of Radiance.<\/p>\n

Radiance Centrepiece Inspiration<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"M_Hanid_Radiance_Centrepiece\"<\/a>The inspiration for the Radiance centrepiece comes from the interconnectedness between diversity among people and diversity itself acting as a catalyst in highlighting a common unity.<\/p>\n

The initial thoughts for the piece stemmed from the notion that there is ‘Unity in diversity and diversity within unity’. The fact that we are all the same, yet also unique and different to varying and sometimes very subtle degrees, and that we can work together in so many ways ultimately gives rise to an infinite pattern of interwoven strength and character. I envisioned this concept as forming a complete whole. Time and space frame this phenomenon as well, in a manner that results in it becoming impossible to distinguish any given beginning or end.<\/p>\n

\"Miriam_Hanid_Radiance_Forming\"<\/a>
Forming the shape with nylon punches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Each component is inseparably linked to the next, and so on throughout the entire piece, with no single section escaping the unity of the design as a whole. To remove one arm of one spiral would remove it from the next. To follow the arms of each spiral into the inner and outer circles is complex to perceive with the mind. Certainly for me it seems easier to take this in \u2018at a glance\u2019 and absorb it with the heart and an intuitive eye. It is this transition from conscious, mental thinking to the intuitive that is at the core of both the inspiration and the subtext behind the Radiance Centrepiece. This same philosophy informed me as I worked on it.<\/p>\n

\"Miriam_Hanid_Goldsmiths_Hall_Modern_Plate_Display\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Prime Warden’s Special<\/strong> Commission <\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Miriam_Hanid_Goldsmiths_Display\"<\/a>The Radiance centrepiece is a Prime Warden’s special commission placed by The Goldsmiths Company in 2016\/17 to commemorate Mr William Parente\u2019s year as Prime Warden in 2014-2015. I was thrilled to be asked to make it and even more so because the centrepiece was not confined in its design by function. The brief was that it had to have a diameter of 50cm and integrate itself elegantly into the Modern Plate Display (pictured above). This display features significant works in silver by the UK’s leading contemporary silversmiths.<\/p>\n

I met with William twice to talk about inspiration and possible ideas and he was happy for me to develop concepts which would allow maximum creative expression. I mentioned the idea of ‘unity in diversity, diversity within unity’ and this resonated with him too. I asked him to reflect on any feelings or themes which he would like to see in the piece, and later on, at our next meeting, he came back with just one word, which brought the underlying effect of the two initial themes to life: ‘radiance’.<\/p>\n

Pencil and Paper<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Initial freehand sketch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I made some initial freehand sketches of my envisaged design whilst on a retreat at Vrads Sande Heartfulness Meditation Centre in Denmark<\/a> and choosing from one of two very similar versions I methodically drew it up in a mathematical manner. This technical drawing took three full days with moments of confusion, sitting at my designing desk with paper and pencil! It involved the use of geometry, colour coding (which helped enormously) and tessellation across many a sheet of tracing paper in order to achieve the finished design. Although the mathematical workings of this project weren\u2019t the most enjoyable part of the creative process for this commission they were somehow one of the most satisfying.<\/p>\n