Jewel of the Universe at Palace Art and Craft Fair

Chris Chamberlain's Jewel of the Universe is a 330,000 piece stained glass portrait of the Earth, an enormous and beautiful piece of work that will be exhibited at the Palace Art and Craft Fair at Fulham Palace, London in May. Jewel of the Universe is being offered for sale for £75,000 with proceeds going to charities in Sierra Leone.

 

 

Chamberlain is a British artist who spent two and a half years in his garage creating the artwork. This illuminated stained glass micro-mosaic, which is 3.2 meters wide by 2.2m tall (10’ 6” x 7’ 3”) and painstakingly interpreted from NASA satellite photos, is the first of its kind in the world.  The piece, titled ‘Jewel of the Universe’ in homage to the Earth, is the first artwork Chamberlain has ever made. Its glass took 6 months to cut by hand and to achieve high resolution, each piece needed to be around 20 times smaller than a normal mosaic tile.

 

In total around 3 kilometers of glass cuts were made and the pieces were then glued one by one onto a thick sheet of perspex with a pair of tweezers. Rivers like the Mississippi, Yangtze, Ganges, Nile and Amazon are depicted with hundreds of turquoise coloured glass pieces, each the size of a grain of rice.  1,238 gemstones of 12 types – and totalling 260 carats – are placed to depict the Earth’s towns and cities.  Zircons – a natural gem second in brilliance to diamond – mark the world’s top 100 cities including London, NewYork, Dubai, Moscow,  and Tokyo. Rubies and emeralds mark the spiritual cities, and finally, a non-conflict Kimberley process diamond depicts a city long associated with blood diamonds -Freetown, Sierra Leone. The artwork is lit from inside with hundreds of LEDs.
 

Chamberlain says: ‘Since visiting Sierra Leone 11 years ago, right after its civil war, I vowed to help it – in my own creative way. I thought, why not make a huge artwork, a new type of art, as a homage to what may well be the most wonderful planet in the universe, and try to make it attractive enough that someone would invest a good amount of money in it? If it sells, if I’m offered just a fraction of what I’m asking, then I’ll use the money to start a fair trade arts co-operative in Sierra Leone.’  To assist immediately, if it sells Chamberlain will donate 10% of the proceeds to the 300-pupil Ivor Leigh Memorial School near Freetown.

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Image of the Day - Alex Dipple

Alex Dipple is an artist based in Hove East Sussex

This work is composed of hundreds of dots, full stops and bullet points cut out of newspapers, compiled into a single image and stuck to board.

Collected over months each dot, box or line is as specific as the text from which it was lifted. These clippings fill spaces that hint of much larger spaces. The tiny fragments of newsprint establish physical contact with obscure documents.

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Artist of the Week - Celia Wilkinson

Celia Wilkinson creates semi-abstract/expressionist landscapes from her studio on the Isle of Wight. Celia will be exhibiting at the Palace Art and Craft Fair.

At what age did you know you wanted to become an artist? I was 19. I was doing a History of Design degree in Brighton and really missed the practical side of art so I left and worked for a couple of years and built up a portfolio and was accepted at Central School of Art to do a foundation course. Then went on to St Martins for my degree.

Is being an artist your only job? 
Being a painter is my full time job.

If you could be anything else what would you be?
A musician

One favourite living artist / designer? David Hockney. Not because I love his work but I admire his approach and the passion he has for his art.

One favourite historical artist / designer?
Picasso. Because he never stopped exploring ideas and pushing boundaries.

Who / what has had most influence on your work?Too many to mention but Patrick Heron has been a more recent influence.

What is the most interesting / fun job you have had?
What I do now. Painting, because that is when I am at my happiest.
 

What is your most prized item of art / design / craft?
A painting my mother did when we lived in Ireland. Its beautiful.
What item of design / craft do you covet most?
An Elizabeth Frink sculpture

Last book / film that blew your mind?
A book called ‘A Fine Balance’ by Rohinton Mistry.

What are you listening to?
Rolling Stones

How many hours do you waste on the internet each day?
I don’t

If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?
I would like to live in Berlin, it’s a great city for artists, it’s beautiful, relaxed and the transport is great.

Where and what is your studio?
My studio is in a barn in my field just outside Niton, Isle of Wight.

Three words that describe your feeling of doing your work? 
Happy as Larry
Chips or mash?
Chips with steak, mash with bangers

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Image of the Day - Habibe Designs

Habibe Acikgoz is a fashion designer based in Twickenham. 

 After having worked within the design and tailoring industry for over 15 years, Habibe founded her company ‘Habibe Designs’ in 2003 in order to provide stylish, individual and confortable clothes for ladies of discerning taste.

Habibe Designs will be exhibiting at the Palace Art and Craft Fair in May

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Maker of the Week - Liz Willis

Liz Willis is a jeweller who will be showing her work at the Palace Art and Craft Fair. Liz is also running the London Marathon for Spinal Research. If you would like to sponsor her, please go to www.justgiving.com/Liz-Willis1,
 At what age did you know you wanted to become a maker?
Probably from the age of about 16, but I went into nursing instead. I have always been creative & eventually decided to go back & study art in my 30’s, & did a part time foundation course, then a part time degree in Applied Arts, graduating in 2008.

Is being a designer your only job?No, I still work shifts as a carer, but these are early morning & late afternoon, so I concentrate on Liz Willis Jewellery in the time in between.

If you could be anything else what would you be?A full time jeweller!

One favourite living artist / designer?
Nora Fok – love the delicate nature of her work & the interesting materials & techniques she uses.

One favourite historical artist / designer?
Can’t think of any, they’re all still alive – particularly like landscape artists & sculptors though

Who / what has had most influence on your work? 
Running – it provides me with the inspiration for my work, as well as the time & space to think, design, plan, imagine, & generally declutter my brain so I can focus on my jewellery.

What is the most interesting / fun job you have had? 
I was a support worker at The Jewellery Project, a social enterprise run by the St Elizabeth Centre in Much Hadham, Herts. It gives work experience, as well as teaching learning & life skills, to adults with severe epilepsy & learning difficulties. We would work with the clients in the workshop behind The Cross Gallery, Bishops Stortford, which is run by the centre, teaching basic jewellery skills, as well as encouraging retail & social skills in the gallery. The work we made was sold through the gallery, as well as work from other local & national artists.

What is your most prized item of art / design / craft?
I recently bought some of Kate Gilliland’s tiny spine & tiny bone earrings – I love the fact that they are cast from the finds in owl pellets, & maybe I like them because I spent years working in orthopaedics!

What item of design / craft do you covet most?Wouldn’t know where to start with that one, there are just too many!

Last book / film that blew your mind?Robert MacFarlane – The Old Ways

What are you listening to? 
Foo Fighters Greatest Hits

How many hours do you waste on the internet each day?
Probably up to 2, usually looking & dreaming over estate agents websites in South Cornwall

If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why? 
See above! Everything makes sense when I’m on the Roseland Peninsula.

Where and what is your studio?A room on the end of our house -used to be a kitchen, spare room, kids play room, teenage haunt, general dumping ground, place to put smelly running shoes & wellies, & now my place to work, although still retains an air of all its former uses.

Three words that describe your feeling of doing your work?
Relaxed, enjoyment, happy

Chips or mash?
Both – I’m training for the London Marathon & need the carbs!

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Image of the Day - Simon Tozer

Simon Tozer produces screenprinted images of animals. Slightly comic, slightly tragic.

 Looks Like Company Screen Print

Simon Tozer will be exhibiting at the Palace Art and Craft Fair in May

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Image of the Day - Christina Fedyk

Christina Fedyk is a Brighton based artist and printmaker producing abstract relief prints and paintings

Christina will be exhibiting at the Palace Art and Craft Fair in May

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