HELEN BRITTON
Helen Britton completed a Master of Fine Arts by research at Curtin University, Western Australia in 1999, which included guest studies at the Academy of Fine Arts, Munich, the Sandberg Institute, Amsterdam, and San Diego State University, California. In 1999 she returned to Munich to complete postgraduate study at the Academy of Fine Arts. In 2002 she established her workshop in Munich with David Bielander and Yutaca Minegishi. Her work is held in the National Gallery of Australia, The Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich, The Schmuck Museum Pforzheim, The Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, The Boston Museum of Fine Art, The Metropolitan Museum, New York, The Hermitage, St Petersburg, The Victoria and Albert Museum, London among others. In 2005 Helen was awarded the Herbert Hofmann prize for excellence in contemporary jewellery and in 2006 the state prize of Bavaria for craftsmanship. In March of 2011 Helen Drutt-English launched a new catalogue of Helen Britton’s work in Munich. In 2013 at the invitation of The Neue Sammlung, Munich, an overview of 20 years of Helen’s work was shown as a solo exhibition in the Neues Museum, Nürnberg, Germany. In 2013 Britton was awarded the Förderpreis of the city of Munich, and in 2014 was artist in residence at Villa Bengel in Idar-Oberstein. In 2015 Helen Britton was invited by Ingo Maurer to make a solo exhibition of her “Industrial” series of jewellery and drawings in his showrooms in Munich, and was Artist in Residence at the invitation of Janet Homes a Court at Vasse Felix in Western Australia. In 2017 Helen has been invited by The Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery, UWA, Western Australia to make a complete overview of her practice in conjunction with the Festival of Perth.
Helen on her Feeling Lucky exhibition works:
What have we got here in this work? Violence, love, riches, sentimentally, humour, wisdom; a friendly companion, a lucky charm, an amulet. Hope. The small and the large refrain. Themes of popular culture, the essence of a pop song in solid form. While the figures themselves draw their shapes from the cheapest trinket, the sentiment that they convey reaches into the deepest abyss. I see in these works all the effort, humour, joy and failure of our existence. They are rough signifiers, visually reduced and emotionally condensed. They are also private icons, some accompanying me from my earliest memories, others invested with my own associations, sifted out of the chaos of possibility through fitting into my hunting pattern. We all live in hope and want luck, more than ever at this point in history.
Public collections:
The Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Stichting Françoise van den Bosch, Amstelveen; The Netherlands Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Auckland Museum, Auckland, New Zealand; Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia; National Gallery of Australia, Canberra; Die Neue Sammlung, Staatliches Museum für angewandte Kunst, Munich (Dauerleihgabe der Danner- Stiftung); The Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth; Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia; Schmuckmuseum im Reuchlinhaus, Pforzheim; The Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, Australia; National Gallery of Victoria, Australia; CODA Museum Amsterdam; Museum of fine Art, Boston, USA; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY, USA, The Hermitage, St Petersburg, Russia, Victoria and Albert Museum, London; Jeweller Museum, Czech Republic.
Helen on her Feeling Lucky exhibition works:
What have we got here in this work? Violence, love, riches, sentimentally, humour, wisdom; a friendly companion, a lucky charm, an amulet. Hope. The small and the large refrain. Themes of popular culture, the essence of a pop song in solid form. While the figures themselves draw their shapes from the cheapest trinket, the sentiment that they convey reaches into the deepest abyss. I see in these works all the effort, humour, joy and failure of our existence. They are rough signifiers, visually reduced and emotionally condensed. They are also private icons, some accompanying me from my earliest memories, others invested with my own associations, sifted out of the chaos of possibility through fitting into my hunting pattern. We all live in hope and want luck, more than ever at this point in history.
Public collections:
The Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Stichting Françoise van den Bosch, Amstelveen; The Netherlands Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Auckland Museum, Auckland, New Zealand; Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia; National Gallery of Australia, Canberra; Die Neue Sammlung, Staatliches Museum für angewandte Kunst, Munich (Dauerleihgabe der Danner- Stiftung); The Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth; Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia; Schmuckmuseum im Reuchlinhaus, Pforzheim; The Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, Australia; National Gallery of Victoria, Australia; CODA Museum Amsterdam; Museum of fine Art, Boston, USA; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY, USA, The Hermitage, St Petersburg, Russia, Victoria and Albert Museum, London; Jeweller Museum, Czech Republic.
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Awards (selection):
Artist In Residence, Vasse Felix, Western Australia (2015) Artist in Residence, Villa Bengel, Idar-Oberstein, Germany (2014); Förderpreis from the City of Munich (2013); Professional Development Grant, Australia Council (2010); Luitpold Stipendium, City of Munich (2009); Erfurt City Goldsmith (2007); Bavarian State Prize, International Handwerksmesse, Munich (2006); Project grant for Fine Art from the city of Munich (2006); Academy of Fine Art, Munich: DAAD-Prize for Foreign Students (2005); International Handwerksmesse, Munich: Herbert-Hofmann-Prize (2005); Arts WA, Australia: Development Grant (1999); Australia: Chancellors Commendation for research, Curtin University of Technology (1999); The Australia Council: Development Assistance (1999).
Solo exhibitions (selection):
2017 MCR. Lawrence Wilson Gallery, UWA, Perth Western Australia
2016 Feeling Lucky, Klimt02, Barcelona
2016 Wildstone. Sienna Gallery, Lenox USA
2015 Heller Wannsinn. Ingo Maurer Showrooms, Munich Germany
2015 The Mystery of Beauty. Gallery Heller, Heidelberg
2014 Britton at Bengel. Villa Bengel, Idar-Oberstein, Germany
2014 Pairs of Pieces, Gallery Funaki, Melbourne, Australia
2014 Unheimlich, Galerie Spektrum, Munich Germany
2013 Industrial Romantic. Antonella Villanova, Florence Italy
2013 Heterogene. Gallery Koudijs, Amsterdam
2013 Just Jewellery. Gallery Orfeo, Luxemberg
2013 The Things I See. Neues Museum, Nürnberg, Germany
2012 Industrial 2. Gallery SO, London
2012 Dekorationswut,:Cornucopia. Sienna Gallery, Lenox USA
2011Industrial. Gallery Funaki, Melbourne Australia
2010 Wet, Glittering Dark, Shiny, Pointy Sharp. Louise Smit, Amsterdam
2009 Somewhere Else Completely. Bavarian Crafts Council, Munich
2009 Dekorationswut. Artothek, Munich
2008 Exempla. Internationale Handwerksmesse, Munich
2008 Chaos and Clean Shapes. Klimt02 Gallery, Barcellona,
2008 The Things I See. Gallery Funaki. Melbourne
2007 All Else Imaginable. Galerie Louise Smit. Amsterdam
2007 Tier aus der Ferne. Townhall, Erfurt
2007 Jewellery Machine. Galerie Beatrice Lang, Bern, Switzerland
2006 Urban Paradise Playground. Objectspace, Auckland, New Zealand
2005 Second Nature. Galerie Louise Smit, Amsterdam
2005 Nature Stories. Galerie Biró, Munich
2005 Home Ground. FORM, Perth, Australia
2004 Crisscrossing. Galerie Hélène Porée, Paris
2003 Silk purse from a sow's ear - uus Schyssdrägg Angge Mache. Galerie Biró, Munich and Jewelers' Werk Galerie, Washington D.C.
2002 Pink World. Galerie Louise Smit, Amsterdam
2002 Surprising Worlds, Gallery Funaki, Melbourne
2001 Two Shining Stars from the Southern Hemisphere. OONA, Berlin
Artist In Residence, Vasse Felix, Western Australia (2015) Artist in Residence, Villa Bengel, Idar-Oberstein, Germany (2014); Förderpreis from the City of Munich (2013); Professional Development Grant, Australia Council (2010); Luitpold Stipendium, City of Munich (2009); Erfurt City Goldsmith (2007); Bavarian State Prize, International Handwerksmesse, Munich (2006); Project grant for Fine Art from the city of Munich (2006); Academy of Fine Art, Munich: DAAD-Prize for Foreign Students (2005); International Handwerksmesse, Munich: Herbert-Hofmann-Prize (2005); Arts WA, Australia: Development Grant (1999); Australia: Chancellors Commendation for research, Curtin University of Technology (1999); The Australia Council: Development Assistance (1999).
Solo exhibitions (selection):
2017 MCR. Lawrence Wilson Gallery, UWA, Perth Western Australia
2016 Feeling Lucky, Klimt02, Barcelona
2016 Wildstone. Sienna Gallery, Lenox USA
2015 Heller Wannsinn. Ingo Maurer Showrooms, Munich Germany
2015 The Mystery of Beauty. Gallery Heller, Heidelberg
2014 Britton at Bengel. Villa Bengel, Idar-Oberstein, Germany
2014 Pairs of Pieces, Gallery Funaki, Melbourne, Australia
2014 Unheimlich, Galerie Spektrum, Munich Germany
2013 Industrial Romantic. Antonella Villanova, Florence Italy
2013 Heterogene. Gallery Koudijs, Amsterdam
2013 Just Jewellery. Gallery Orfeo, Luxemberg
2013 The Things I See. Neues Museum, Nürnberg, Germany
2012 Industrial 2. Gallery SO, London
2012 Dekorationswut,:Cornucopia. Sienna Gallery, Lenox USA
2011Industrial. Gallery Funaki, Melbourne Australia
2010 Wet, Glittering Dark, Shiny, Pointy Sharp. Louise Smit, Amsterdam
2009 Somewhere Else Completely. Bavarian Crafts Council, Munich
2009 Dekorationswut. Artothek, Munich
2008 Exempla. Internationale Handwerksmesse, Munich
2008 Chaos and Clean Shapes. Klimt02 Gallery, Barcellona,
2008 The Things I See. Gallery Funaki. Melbourne
2007 All Else Imaginable. Galerie Louise Smit. Amsterdam
2007 Tier aus der Ferne. Townhall, Erfurt
2007 Jewellery Machine. Galerie Beatrice Lang, Bern, Switzerland
2006 Urban Paradise Playground. Objectspace, Auckland, New Zealand
2005 Second Nature. Galerie Louise Smit, Amsterdam
2005 Nature Stories. Galerie Biró, Munich
2005 Home Ground. FORM, Perth, Australia
2004 Crisscrossing. Galerie Hélène Porée, Paris
2003 Silk purse from a sow's ear - uus Schyssdrägg Angge Mache. Galerie Biró, Munich and Jewelers' Werk Galerie, Washington D.C.
2002 Pink World. Galerie Louise Smit, Amsterdam
2002 Surprising Worlds, Gallery Funaki, Melbourne
2001 Two Shining Stars from the Southern Hemisphere. OONA, Berlin
JEWELS by HELEN BRITTON
Helen Britton.
Brooch: Lucky Dick, 2016.
18ct yellow gold..
6 x 4 x 1.5 cm.
Photo by: Helen Britton.
Price: 8700 €.
Brooch: Lucky Dick, 2016.
18ct yellow gold..
6 x 4 x 1.5 cm.
Photo by: Helen Britton.
Price: 8700 €.
Unique piece.
.Helen Britton.
Brooch: Mushroom, 2016.
Silver, paint..
9 x 7 x 1.5 cm.
Photo by: Helen Britton.
Price: 5000 €.
Brooch: Mushroom, 2016.
Silver, paint..
9 x 7 x 1.5 cm.
Photo by: Helen Britton.
Price: 5000 €.
Unique piece.
.Helen Britton.
Brooch: Knifegarden, 2013.
Silver 925, glass, diamonds..
8.4 x 5.6 x 2.3 cm.
Price: 5300 €.
Brooch: Knifegarden, 2013.
Silver 925, glass, diamonds..
8.4 x 5.6 x 2.3 cm.
Price: 5300 €.
Unique piece
.Helen Britton.
Brooch: Diamond Goal, 2014.
Silver, glass, diamonds..
5.7 x 3.9 x 0.8 cm.
Price: 3000 €.
Unique piece..
Brooch: Diamond Goal, 2014.
Silver, glass, diamonds..
5.7 x 3.9 x 0.8 cm.
Price: 3000 €.
Unique piece..
Helen Britton.
Brooch: Untitled, 2013.
Silver, glass, diamond..
8.4 x 5.6 x 2.3 cm.
Price: 3000 €.
Brooch: Untitled, 2013.
Silver, glass, diamond..
8.4 x 5.6 x 2.3 cm.
Price: 3000 €.
Unique piece.
.Helen Britton.
Ring: Untitled, 2011.
Gold, silver, Australian diamonds..
3.5 x 1.3 x 2.5 cm.
Price: 1700 €.
Ring: Untitled, 2011.
Gold, silver, Australian diamonds..
3.5 x 1.3 x 2.5 cm.
Price: 1700 €.
Unique piece.
.