Winners of the fourth annual Thuthuka Jewellery Design Awards were announced by the Minister of Arts and Culture, Mr Paul Mashatile, on 11 October 2011 with University of Johannesburg’s Caroline Turner taking first place in the overall achievement award.
The Thuthuka Jewellery and Product Development skills programme is a partnership between the Department of Arts and Culture and various jewellery design education institutions, including the University of Johannesburg (UJ), the Central University of Technology and the Ekurhuleni Jewellery Project. Thuthuka aims to highlight the wealth of contemporary jewellery design talent in South Africa. This year, entrants were asked to design a beautiful button and integrate it into a piece of jewellery and a lifestyle item.
Students from UJ’s Department of Jewellery Design walked away with eight of the nineteen prizes:
· New Talent Award - Billy Matsoso received a merit award and Janci Bisschoff received a
commended award and R2 000 prize money;
· Innovation Award - Nikiwe Mathebula was the overall winner in this category and received
R5 000, while Chanel Estebeth received a merit award;
· Achievement Award - Caroline Turner was the overall winner in this category and received
R10 000. Merit awards went to DelphineJoustra and Michelee Evans.
Thuthuka 2011 overall winning design by Caroline Turner
Design by Chanel Estebeth earning a merit award in the 2011 Thuthuka Jewellery Design Awards
Judges included jewellery designer Liz Loubser, Lourens Maré, CEO of the Jewellery Council of South Africa, Heidi Pretorius, Marketing Consultant at Anglo Gold Ashanti, fashion designer Tiaan Nagel, Sarah Buitendach, Editor of the Sunday Times Lifestyle Magazine, jeweller and goldsmith Labi Kapo and Masana Chikeka of the Department of Arts and Culture.
The jewellery exhibition was held at the UJ Art Gallery on the Kingsway Campus, Auckland Park, Johannesburg.
Read Chanel Estebeth’s account regarding her participation in this project.