What you’ll learn in this episode: Why art jewelry is a way to reflect current times How Annette is trying to create an art jewelry gallery in Copenhagen Why people often don’t understand art jewelry, even in cultures with a tradition of goldsmithing, art and design Why Americans are more willing to wear large statement pieces About Annette Dam Annette Dam is educated from the Oslo National Academy of the Arts in Norway in 1999 and has since worked conceptually and exhibition-oriented. Annette Dam's works have been exhibited at exhibitions in Denmark as well as internationally. In 2015 she was selected for the World Craft Council's European Prize for Applied Arts in Belgium. Annette Dam received the prestigious Skt. Loye award from the Kjøbenhavns Guldsmedelaug. Additional Resources: Website Instagram Klimt02 Photos available on TheJewelryJourney.com Transcript: For Danish artist-jeweler Annette Dam, the appeal of art jewelry lies in the challenge of making it. How do you turn an idea or feeling into a wearable piece of art? That’s the question she asks before starting any piece. She joined the Jewelry Journey Podcast to talk about her upcoming exhibitions and projects; how people from different cultures approach art jewelry; and why she wants to help the Danish art jewelry scene thrive. Read the episode transcript here. Sharon: Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Jewelry Journey Podcast. This is the second part of a two-part episode. If you haven’t heard part one, please go to TheJewelryJourney.com. Today my guest is artist-jeweler Annette Dam, speaking to us from Denmark. Welcome back.    You used the word concrete, which is exactly the word I used when I was making notes. I thought, “Oh my god, that’s a real challenge.” You say that what you’re doing is a little bit like a riddle. You’re trying to make something concrete that you’re visualizing in your mind, but you want to make it real. That must be very difficult.   Annette: It is sometimes, but for me it’s also where a lot of my drive is. It’s where I get challenged. I get very frustrated and say, “I don’t know. How do I do this?” but that is what I think is exciting. I must like it even though I get so frustrated. I think it’s very hard sometimes.   For instance, I had an exhibition a while ago called “When Complexity Moved In.” It was about getting older. When you get older and more experienced and more knowledgeable, you’re able to see things from many different perspectives. You can see other peoples’ reactions and you can see their points. You may not agree, but you can still see their view, and it’s not black and white anymore. A lot of friends who are the same age as me have the same feeling. Life doesn’t get easier. Even though you may know a lot more, you get more experienced, it seems like it’s getting even more complex. All the grey, all the nuances, you get aware of them. How do I translate that feeling into jewelry? That is a real challenge.   Sharon: Yes, it sounds like it. It sounds like a brain twister.   Annette: Yes, it is, but that’s where a lot of my energy comes from, this riddle that I have to solve to get it into a material. I make jewelry that, at least in my opinion, is somewhat wearable. Some might disagree. So, there’s also a functional side to it, and I want it all to work together. Then you have a lot of ideas, and it’s also about subtracting so it doesn’t get confusing. That’s a lot of elements in that creative process, but that’s the one that drives me.   Sharon: That’s interesting. I could see how you have to streamline things and say, “O.K., I have a lot of ideas, but they can’t all go into this one piece.”   Annette: No.   Sharon: I was intrigued by your—I’m looking for the name of it, the silversmithing program.   Annette: Yeah.   Sharon: Tell us about that.   Annette: I can say that whenever I start a new project, I always want to learn something new, not only in terms of investigating an issue, but also technical skills when I want