Guns´n´Bones

The exhibition project "Guns N' Bones" presents a dialogue of two jewellers Bety K. Majerníková and Kristýna Španihelová. In their collections they both work with women's issues intertwining at various levels beauty with suffering, symbols of the animate and the inanimate, irony and criticism. Thus, visually "pretty" and aesthetic jewellery become the carriers of serious topics.

In her critical series entitled WRAF Bety K.Majerníková reflects the omnipresent "war" of today's women with the world surrounding them. On one hand she criticizes that nowadays the society expects from women unrealistic results in many aspects. On the other hand she also aims criticism at women because they themselves put up with these unrealistic criteria and strive to comply with them. However, they often do not fight for themselves, instead, they fight against each other, against their interests, health and their own bodies. The morphology of jewellery - objects in this series originate in contours of weapons, grenades but also in hearts or flowers. Black pearls applied to perforated spots on the pieces of jewellery are a symbolic reminder of a gunshot - a bullet - an attack. They are made out of different material - hematite, marble, glass, steel and pearl-shell.

Kristýna Španihelová presents a collection of bone jewellery from the cycle Život [i.e. Life] ANIMA. In her series of jewellery Kristýna primarily deals with the growth and development of feminine nature and principle.

Anima combines in itself the deeper and rationally imperceptible mystery of life. Carl Gustav Jung dealt with the topic of Anima in his work "The Idea of Redemption in Alchemy" and the author drew her inspiration from his theories as well. Jewellery from the cycle Life ANIMA are made of bleached bones which complement the carved-out silver lace work, synthetic pearls, gold foil, pyrites, coral and beads.

Mária Nepšinská