24 September 2014 – 20 September 2015.

Simon Cottrell is a Lecturer and Researcher in the Gold & Silversmithing Workshop at the ANU School of Art.  His brooch 'Bulbs to Barn Doors' 2010 which is included in this exhibition was acquired by The Griffith Regional Art Gallery, as the Winner of the National Contemporary Jewellery Award in 2010.

A Fine Possession: Jewellery & Identity celebrates the central place of jewellery in our lives, from antiquity to the present-day, through a sumptuous selection of jewellery made, worn and collected in Australia.

The exhibition includes jewellery from across the world spanning 2500 years of human history. The curator Eva Czernis-Ryl says the exhibition will appeal to anyone with “an interest in creative jewellery from different periods and cultures, and in objects of intimate beauty that enchant, surprise and stimulate the imagination”

Jewellery has been made and worn for personal, social and cultural reasons through millennia. Styles, materials and practices have varied across time and place, yet the desire to adorn ourselves has been universal.

Jewellery can influence the way people perceive us, make us more attractive, mark special events or symbolise wealth and status. We make, wear, give, receive, collect and express our identity, individuality and creativity through jewellery. It contributes to our spiritual, cultural and emotional well-being.

Link to exhibition on Powerhouse Museum website