For me, the detail that goes into Tanja's pieces, and the story behind each carefully executed detail, is what has me hooked. This is the beautiful thing about markets - you get the opportunity to buy direct from the maker and learn about the intricacies and level of thought that goes into designing a single piece. We can't wait to welcome Tanja von Behrens designs to Hustle&Scout and are excited to have her join the H&S family...
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What is it about Hustle&Scout that made you want to apply to be a stallholder?
I grew up in Canberra, and although it’s been about 14 years since I’ve lived there, it still feels like home. My parents, some of my longest and much loved friends, and my deaf, cantankerous and ageing pooch, still live there. It doesn’t matter how far away I go, my heart knows its place - and is always looking for opportunities to find it’s way home :)
Stumbling on Hustle&Scout in my hunt for opportunities to take my jewellery to Canberra was fortuitous - and exciting. I’ve been watching the fashion, design and music scene in Canberra grow and develop from a distance for so long now - and Hustle&Scout seems to roll all of that local excitement into one awesome event! The press I had seen from the first market was fantastic, and it seemed stupid not to jump at the opportunity. I have always taken great pleasure in proving all those anti-Canberra-ites wrong - and I’m stoked to see so many events popping up that celebrate all the amazing, creative things that Canberra is capable of. I’m even more wrapped to have the chance to be a part of one!
How did you get into designing jewellery?
I left Canberra in 2000 to go to Uni in Sydney, but decided to take a year off first and work. It was during this year sometime (I think!) that I was randomly exploring the streets of Chippendale and discovered Pine St Creative Arts Centre. They were offering free workshops for young people, to create artworks for SmARTarts Youth Arts Festival - and one of those workshops was Jewellery Making. I took up the free workshops for a few months, and I loved it - so much so, that almost every term for the length of my 4 years at uni, I kept going to evening classes. Designing and making were a great antidote to the headache-inducing essay writing and deadlines of University, and I loved the fact that I could come up with an idea, and at the end of the process, have a concrete outcome that I could hold, touch and wear.
Tell us a bit about your label and design aesthetic.
It’s a bit strange for me to think I have inadvertently developed my own label of sorts. Really, I just happen to be someone who likes to design and make things! The fact that the process seems to have resulted in a body of shiny, wearable things is all a bit novel, really! While I have definitely worked hard over the last few years to develop a style and a brand for my work, I’m not sure I ever really went in to studying at TAFE thinking I would come out the other side with a brand of my own. I went in to learn a little bit more about something I really enjoyed - and this, so far, is where I seem to have ended up!
Some of my designs are definitely the result of careful planning, measurement, design and execution - and some of them are happy accidents, stumbled upon in the process of doing something entirely different ;). I work a lot with Sterling Silver, Brass and Copper, but have also experimented with stones, and found and recycled materials. I’ve been focusing on developing a bread and butter range of work, which I hope will help to fund more experimental and intricate work in the future.
What is your creative workspace like, and what inspires you about your surroundings?
I share a studio space at the convict built, sandstone Salamanca Arts Centre (SAC) on the Hobart waterfront with two other contemporary Jewellers. We studied together at TAFE, and moved into the space in early 2012. We furnished the small space with a haphazard collection of donated and collected furniture, and handmade benches. Because of the history of the building, there’s not a right angled corner in the room, or a truly flat spot in the floor - so just trying to place the furniture was the first major challenge! We share our tools and the costs of general consumables, so it makes things a little more affordable and possible. SAC is a bubbling little hive of activity, and it’s a great spot to be because I can quite easily pop down and see what’s going on in Spacebar Gallery and The Art of Silver, where I sell my work - and talk to the people I work with. I love that I can walk to the studio from home, and wish that I could spend a lot more time in the studio and around the Arts Centre, taking better advantage of the resources and opportunities available there.
What is your absolute favourite thing you have made? Why?
At the end of my studies I created a neckpiece that is made up of 12 little sterling silver panels. 11 of the panels have embossed maps on the front, based on the streets surrounding my previous homes - and the 12th panel has the words ‘Home Is Where the Heart Is’ on the front. Each map panel has the street number, and the first letter of the street name stamped on the back of it. This piece is a personal history piece - it tells a story about experiences I’ve had, the places I’ve lived, and the people that are important to me. It probably wouldn’t mean much to other people looking at it at all - but to me, it tells a significant personal story. I was chuffed when I finished the piece, because when I started, I’d had no idea how I might turn the idea into reality, and I had to experiment with a few different techniques in order to make it work.
What can punters expect to find at the upcoming autumn market?
I tend to make a lot of earrings because they don’t have to be a specific fit, in the same way that a ring would - and you can get quite creative with design. I love working with Sterling Silver - so that will definitely feature - but I’ve also got a few other ideas I’m playing with. I’ve made a few very Tassie-specific necklace designs in the past featuring prominent local Mountain Ranges (like Mt Wellington and Cradle Mountain). They’ve sold really well, and I’ve been mulling over some Canberra specific designs for quite a while - but not being there regularly, it’s hard to get good photos of the mountain ranges to base them on! If anyone has great photos of the Canberra Mountain ranges that they love, and thinks I should give it a go, please tell them to email me some pics! :) I have a wedding to go to in Tassie on the same day as Hustle&Scout, so I’ve begged my lovely family and friends to help me run the stall. Please be kind to them - they’re doing me a giant favour, and I’m very grateful! ;)
What new projects are you working on and where would you like to see your label in the future?
I’ve only done one market before, so this year is exciting (if more than a little daunting!) - because I’m currently preparing for The Market in Hobart, and Hustle&Scout. My favourite little gallery in Canberra - FIVEFOLD - is definitely on the list, and there are quite a few galleries that I love in Sydney and Melbourne - but I’ve got a long way to go yet to get there! I’d really love to get an online shop up and running, so this year I’m trying to focus on ways to make that possible, and to get myself more organised as a business. I’m still working two other jobs while trying to build my jewellery practice, so it’s a definite juggling act to make things happen - but I’m doing my best to try and make it work :)
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