The Rui Cunha Foundation gallery is showcasing 12 pieces of wood and silver jewellery by Portuguese professional jeweller Cristina Vinhas in a solo exhibition entitled “When West Meets East”, which is on until Saturday.
Vinhas was born in Vila do Conde and moved to Macau in 2007, becoming an instructor and coordinator of jewellery workshops at Casa de Portugal em Macau (“Portugal’s House in Macau” - CPM), according to a recent statement from the gallery. She continues to design and create her own collections for the Portuguese jewellery industry, and has participated in group and individual exhibitions, along with local fairs and festivities.
The works in the free-admission exhibition are inspired by the “Wood Element”, the statement noted, adding that the pieces were created from “textures and organic shapes such as logs and pieces of driftwood”, and are fused with “noble metals”. Among the work on display are necklaces, bracelets, brooches and decorative objects, with their shapes referring to images of nature such as mountains and waterfalls, and Oriental references.
Vinhas was quoted in the statement as saying that her exhibition “reflects the strong influence of Chinese culture on my work. The representation of the landscape, of the elements of nature, continues to be my great source of inspiration, and where I go to charge and revitalise energy”.
The statement said that the East has been Vinhas source of inspiration for her work over the last decade and a half.
The gallery is open from Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., as well as from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays. It is closed on Sundays and public holidays. More information is available on the foundation’s website on https://ruicunha.org/frc/
Photos: Rui Pastorin
