Born in Mariehamn, Finland, Anna Greta Eker came
to Norway in the fifties, where she married Erling Christoffersen, the
leder of the silver workshop at the applied arts center PLUS in Fredrikstad.
The idea behind this for Norwegian craftsdesigners so importent center
founded in 1958, was to establish a design center where designers working
with glass, silver, ceramics and textiles were to create good models for
the industry. However, the center is most well known for the craft products
made in small or medium-sized editions.
Eker, who had started up as an industrial designer back in Finland,
became one of the leading designers at the silver workshop. Together with
other designers such as Tone Vigeland, she induced new energy into the
studio production of modern jewelry in Scandinavia.
When the jewelry production at PLUS came to an end in the seventies,
this concluded a long period of creating jewelry for for Norway Silver
Designs A/S. Eker started up her own workshop using as her artistname
'AGE' from the initials of her name, the same as her hallmark from the
PLUS era.
Most of Anna Greta Ekers jewelry is hand hammered. Geometric and organic
forms such as twirling lines in combination with semiprescious stones,
handblowed glass from the glasswokshop at PLUS and wooden pearls. In tune
with fashion in the sixties, the jewellery is given a prominent exposition
on the ears and around the neck. The form is sculptural, the earrings
are 'mobiles' - the neckring is a 'portable sculpture'.
|
'Wire with Glass Ball',
silver bracelet, 1970s,
glass ball by Benny Motzfeld.
Neckring and bracelet,
silver, 1960s.
Pendant,
silver with Moss Agate, 1960s.
Bracelet for own workshop,
silver with stone, 1970s.
|
