Aladdin’s Cave of wedding gems at Bonhoga
THE CURRENT exhibition at the Bonhoga Gallery at Weisdale Mill is a wonderful mixture of gems which form the perfect wedding and is aptly named I Do: the Craft of the Wedding.
This is an Aladdin’s Cave of exciting pieces which enthral the visitor with colour, texture and sounds. The art of marriage is explored under four headings: something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue and under the themes of traditional, futuristic, environmentally friendly and eastern/oriental.
The exhibition highlights the work of over 60 top UK artists using a wide range of techniques. Many are Shetland based and provide an exciting range of innovative and heirloom pieces.
The combination of this eclectic mix of artists gives an insight into the variety and quality of work being produced. The commissioning of these individual items can be tapered to suit the bride’s personal tastes and ensure her special day will be both unique and original and need not be expensive. A wide variety of products are available – hats, jewellery, bags, scarves, shoes, invites, albums, shawls, confetti, paper flowers, table decorations, glass bowls, silver kaleidoscopes and even models of wedding cakes are just a small number of items to be had at the exhibition. There are styles and colours to suit all tastes.
Mary Fraser’s lace-covered wedding album, Barbara Ridland’s knitted wedding dress and Helen Robertson’s bridal jewellery are exquisite heirloom pieces.
The lace wedding shawl by Jo Jack, delicate felted invites and hearts by Donna Smith and the quirky wooden hearts and horseshoes produced by Shona Anderson show how tradition has been brought up to date in a contemporary fashion.
The white cloche hat by Felicity Faichney, Clair Webster’s bags and wraps and rings by jewellers Lorna Hewitt and Shimara Carlow are items not to be missed.
The colourful weddings of other countries are portrayed by the use of colourful saris, shoes, jewellery, beaded bags and shawls. The fabric on one of the saris was designed for the British Asian Bridal Competition and depicts the hopes, dreams and experiences of the Asian bride in the UK. Mike Finnie’s wedding cake added an exciting and exotic touch to this sparkling display.
A variety of traditional Shetland music by Margaret Scollay and also Indian and Japanese wedding music can be played to accompany the viewing.
Jackie Kynes
