prairie pa l e t t e
Manitoba has a plethora of both emerging and established artists. In each issue, Prairie Palette will introduce you to some of the talented locals who share Manitoba with us, and demystify some of the intricacies of art and the art scene in Manitoba. This issue we are excited to introduce Johanna Brierley to you. Johanna Brierley’s lifelong fascination with jewellery can be traced back to a childhood spent rummaging through her grandmother’s jewellery chest. From an early age, she developed an enthusiasm for found objects and a curiosity about the various ways in which an object worn on a body will interact with the body itself. Whether she is discovering shiny, unusual shapes of glass and stone along the beach or scouring antique markets for objects with a unique past, Johanna’s work is informed by her passion for collecting and her eye for the exceptional and the unexpected. Born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Johanna graduated from the University of Manitoba with a degree in English. She then spent three years studying for a Diploma of Jewellery Arts at George Brown College in Toronto, where she graduated at the top of her class. Since launching her business in 2007, Johanna Brierley Jewellery Design is becoming more and more recognized
66
spring
2015
for unique and timeless pieces of jewellery inspired by lucky stones. For generations, Johanna's family has been collecting lucky stones with natural holes because hole stones are believed to be symbols of good luck. As a child, Johanna made numerous jewellery pieces incorporating lucky stones only to discover that over time, the real stones would crack and break. It wasn't until studying Jewellery that Johanna was able to solve her dilemma of the breaking lucky stones. By learning the processes of holding and lost wax casting, Johanna turned her lucky stones into silver and gold giving the natural shapes strength and durability. Johanna mold and cast her first lucky stone, a stone with a hole in the shape of a heart she named Lucky in Love, in 2000. Johanna now works with an assistant at her home-studio and hopes to share the luck she has found through her pieces of jewellery. www.johannabrierley.com