Funding was available to enable artists and makers to develop prototypes of their products – we then selected six of these for production:
Following the success of the Refresh Now Retail open call and commissions in 2021, we again invited artists and makers to apply for £500 development funding to support the creation of new products - with the successful products now being exclusively available at Bonhoga and Mareel.
- Dates
- 2022
- Location
- Mareel/Bonhoga
Helen Robertson
Helen creates memorable jewellery, textiles and artworks inspired by Shetland's textile heritage and natural environment. Her highly original work includes elegant, contemporary silver jewellery and fine works of applied art that both celebrate and commemorate Shetland's history and heritage. Each beautiful piece is handmade in her workshop at home in the north of Shetland. She also designs knitted textiles and runs online knitting classes in specialist techniques.
Helen has designed a selection of enamel brooches, 'Peerie Pictirs'.
Links
Website: https://www.helenrobertson.com/
Facebook: Helen Robertson Jewellery & Textile Design
Instagram: @knitshetland
Print Clubb
Allie Clubb is a local Shetland printmaker with a love for finding pattern in the world around her. All of her designs are created using hand carved lino blocks and aim to celebrate the small, often unnoticed corners of the world, where we tend to miss out on beautiful things. Her fascination with intricate design stems from time spent watching her dad poring over complex and highly detailed projects during his work as a stone-carver – it was here that her love of carving and cutting was born.
Allie has designed an apron, 'Shoal Junction', and a selection of cards.
Links
Jocelyn Naquin
Jocelyn is a surface designer and maker. Her family moved to Shetland a year ago and she has been endlessly inspired by the flora and fauna that inhabit the beautiful islands. She originally started her business 13 years ago by sewing and designing custom items for babies and children. During that time, she fell in love with surface pattern design and now she loves to create artwork for products that are both functional and bring people joy.
Jocelyn has designed two tea towels, featuring Shetland wildflowers.
Links
Website: https://thenestingspot.com/
Facebook: The Nesting Spot
Instagram: @thenestingspot
Variorum
Helen is a designer and artist who created her brand, Variorum, in 2020. She was born and grew up in Lerwick until she moved to the mainland to advance her studies – she studied in Aberdeen for two years before studying her full degree in Design for Textiles at Heriot Watt University. 2020 was not a great year for her graduation, especially when it came to starting her career, so she started Variorum as a way to continue being creative, inspired and to show how amazing our country is.
Helen has designed gift wrapping paper inspired by Shetland folk music, including gift tags.
Links
Website: https://www.variorum.co.uk/
Facebook: Variorum
Instagram: @variorum_official
Aimee Labourne
Since moving to Shetland in 2016, Aimee has been hugely influenced by the islands' unique landscape. Her art practice focuses on drawing, but photography has always formed a large part of how she collects visual material and develops ideas. She enjoys capturing forms, patterns, and ephemeral moments – in Shetland's often quickly changing weather, there are interesting qualities of light and colour, and subtle but magical changes from season to season. She has interest in themes of nature and space in her artwork - arrangement of space and perspective in an image can highlight natural processes, evoke a sense of passing time, and also reflect understandings of our changing relationship to nature.
Aimee has designed a set of 10 postcards, inspired by Shetland landscapes.
Links
Website: https://www.aimeelabourne.co.uk/
Instagram: @a.labourne
Tenneka Designs
Tenneka's art is quite varied in many ways - her earlier work was more realistic, but her style is ever changing. She is currently experimenting with her art, which is something she believes everyone should try. For now, she is going to keep creating, as she has an ever growing list of ideas to try and work her way through, and she will wait and see where her art takes her!
