Scan Magazine | Design Profile | Gullsmed Merete Mattson
The northern lights are the focal point in Mattson’s entire collection.
Based in northern Norway, Mattson takes a great interest in nature and natural history.
Jewellery inspired by the ever-changing northern lights Not many jewellers continue to add a great number of pieces to one collection over several years, but northern Norwegian jeweller and goldsmith Merete Mattson finds her immediate surroundings so overwhelmingly inspiring that she simply cannot stop designing. By Line Elise Svanevik | Photos: Merete Mattson
“What’s great about the northern lights is that it’s constantly moving – nothing is ever the same,” says Mattson, who resides in the small northern Norwegian village Hemnesberget in the county of Nordland. “I’m quite restless, and I very much enjoy change, which is why this suits me so well.” Her northern lights collection constantly expands and evolves, thanks to the many different directions the northern lights go in. “Sometimes you can barely see it, and other times, there’s a flaming light,” she explains. “There are so many different colours – it’s so fascinating; I really can’t take my eyes off it. When you use the northern lights for inspiration, you can let the light take you in all sorts of directions. It really speaks to my restlessness and the creativity I have within.” 16 | Issue 107 | December 2017
Inspired by nature, natural history and everything that surrounds her, Mattson explains that she grew up with the northern lights as a permanent presence. “It’s what my heart is filled with. When you make something based on your immediate surroundings, it becomes very believable, and it touches people in a special way,” she adds. “To create something from your own history and your own heart – that’s what often stirs up emotions in the customer, and what I’m often told makes my jewellery special.”
A handmade focus Mattson also runs a gallery café called Sans, where she displays the works of other local artists. “Everything in the shop and gallery is handmade,” explains Mattson. “That’s what’s unique about my concept – and everything comes
from Trondheim and up, mostly made in Nordland.” Although Hemnesberget has a modest population of only 1,500 people, her customer group spans a 70-kilometre radius, with everything from young people wanting unusual wedding rings to those from an older generation who want to revamp old gold jewellery that they no longer use. Additionally, Mattson received a lot of recognition and publicity last year, when she won a Norwegian Association of Jewellery Designers competition and was given the chance to make a tiara for Queen Sonja of Norway. She was also recently invited to participate in an exhibition at the Storting building (the Norwegian Houses of Parliament) along with 20 other Norwegian artists – an incredible opportunity considering that she is located so far from the capital, where the majority of the Norwegian jewellery designers are based. Web: www.gullblom.com