by Sarah McClintock:
A handshake is a sign of peace, in the offering of open hands you are showing that you bear no ill will. A give and take, there is no winner in a handshake. Instead it is a mutual ritual, an exchange of power and expression of trust and respect. The Handshake Project is a mentorship and exhibition project established and led by Wellington-based jeweller, tutor, curator and writer Peter Deckers. For the last decade it has paired emerging jewellers with established makers to develop their practice and strengthen the community of contemporary jewellers in our country. Making can become a solitary endeavour, alone in the studio the jeweller often works without a cohort. Handshake provides not only mentorship and guidance from established artists but also the comfort and support of peers in the other mentees. Rather than remaining segregated from each other, the project provides connection. CHAINreaction was an exhibition that was on display at Refinery ArtSpace in Nelson 27 March – 17 April 2021 that celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Handshake Project and the various makers, artists and jewellers who have made Handshake the force it is today.
What links the chains in CHAINreaction is an understanding of connection that is central to the Handshake project. The only requirement given to the 49 artists was that their chain measure at least 1.2 metres. Each piece, from the intimate to the insane, was then joined together in a singular chain. The connections were both sympathetic and jarring. An important distinction is…………..
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