There have long been exhibitions bringing together the range of talents in the community. A Shetland Arts and Crafts Exhibition began not long after the Second World War and continued into the 1990s. Its place has since been taken by the Shetland Open Exhibition, which is held every two years at the Bonhoga Gallery in Weisdale; and there’s also an annual Craft Fair. In addition, there’s a host of other group or solo exhibitions at (among other places) Bonhoga, The Shetland Gallery in Yell, Da Gadderie at the Shetland Museum and Vaila Fine Art in Lerwick.
Many artists and craftspeople practise in Shetland and, as a current show demonstrates, the strength and diversity of skills are remarkable.
In normal times, the Shetland Open – which, as the name implies, takes entries from anyone with a Shetland connection – would lead to a further show in the following year, focused on the work of the previous year’s winning exhibitors. However, it wasn’t possible to hold that event in 2020 because of Covid-19.
It was worth waiting for. The five 2019 winners have used the time very well, producing some truly beautiful pieces for the show, which is entitled Treasured. That label reflects precious time spent immersed in making – and in reflection – during a challenging year. It features the transformation of sometimes overlooked raw materials into new and joyful artworks. What’s more, the works are superbly presented in the upstairs gallery.
Deborah Briggs works in textiles, which she has always loved and valued as “a vital part of our everyday lives”. For this show, she has created woven pieces inspired by the vivid colours of wildflowers against the greys and browns of Shetland cliffs, combined with the brilliant blue sea and bright sky.
“It’s so beautiful,” she says. “The colours are incredible.” She has tried to incorporate the colours of the cliffs and the sea and evoke the wildflowers encountered when walking through a meadow. Being able to use Shetland wool, in all those colours, to create a piece of art “has been a joy”.
That joy is obvious in her work. The choices of colours and the combinations in which they’re used are exquisite, and that’s allied to a precision in execution which is hugely impressive.
Eve Eunson is a designer maker inspired by the vernacular furniture of Fair Isle. Eve has created chairs from wood that arrived in Shetland as dunnage – material used to keep cargo in place during transportation. She feels that “Covid-19 has forced many of us to re-evaluate, and learn to live with, the flaws in our current worlds, treasuring what we can, even in the most unlikely situations.”
She has sought to turn the “forgotten” into beautiful pieces that will be treasured in the future, and to treasure, too, the lessons learned through “accepting and understanding all the flaws”, alongside physical resources and tangible skills.
That Fair Isle tradition of adaptation and re-use is not only very much worth preserving, it could hardly be more in tune with the need for sustainability in all of our living arrangements.
Contemporary textile artist Marcia Galvin has knitted bright and playful garments incorporating unusual textures and bold colours. She reflected on the unfolding events of 2020, “strange and sometimes overwhelming times.”
But the approach she took was to reflect the joy she derives from making, the fun and pleasure to be drawn from that creative process.
That’s certainly the impression left by her striking collection, which is a very convincing demonstration of the ways in which the skills and techniques that lie behind Shetland’s knitwear can evolve and adapt in new directions.
Creating lightsome characters and scenes from bruk found on beaches and elsewhere, Lynn Ritch Bullough takes her inspiration from nature, adopting the maxim that ‘everything broken deserves more love’. She has enjoyed challenging herself in “making something from broken bits of wood, fabric or other bruk” that she found on the beach, echoing her time growing up in the island of Unst, when nothing was thrown away.
Creating pieces that she really loves has been “really lightsome” and she hopes that the hours of work she has devoted to them celebrates nature, “the biggest show on earth”.
Certainly, they demonstrate a fertile imagination infused with a real sense of fun, as well as illustrating the skill involved in transforming these found objects into something unexpected.
Jeweller Esmé Wilcock is also inspired by the natural world, she is well known for her delicate creations, often featuring sea glass or cast sea shells. Over the past year, Esmé has found new inspiration around her, whether in ropes on a pier, buoys in the waters nearby, the ever-changing colours of the sea or even those in her own jacket.
There is abundant evidence here of those influences, and all of her intricate work is executed beautifully.
Esmé has also treasured the time spent with her daughter, time that she’d never have had without Covid.
Graeme Howell, the Chief Executive at Shetland Arts, is “ delighted” that this exhibition could at last go ahead. “The makers have created a bright, colourful and joyful selection of work that deserves to be treasured for years to come.”
Nobody who sees this show – which runs until the end of October – would disagree with that assessment.
Alastair Hamilton
Alastair Hamilton moved to Shetland in 1976. Until he retired, he worked for Shetland Islands Council, latterly as Head of Planning, and was also involved in economic development.