The Norwegian silver smith and jewelry artist Toril
Bjorg is known all over the world for her use of textile techniques in
silver jewelry making. Working through knitting and crocheting silver
thread, she has ended up using a special spiral technique. Thin thread
is first made into long spirals and then put together to form flexible
bracelets that can be rolled into different shapes, or large collars that
sweep around the neck and brings forth the bearer. The result is soft
stretchable sculpture like pieces of silver jewelry with references to
old lace, ancient armory and ladies dresses from the Renaissance.
After graduating from the National College of Applied Arts & Crafts
in Oslo, 1968, Toril Bjorg started her own workshop. Doing so she was
following up a movement of mostly female Norwegian silver smiths, such
as Tone Vigeland in 1961 and Gine Sommerfelt in 1964, working in small
private workshops hand making jewelry with an emphasis on the free artistic
expression.
The jewelry of Toril Bjorg was first presented to a broader public through
her designs for the David-Andersen company, Oslo. Early in her career
she won several awards and was judged a promising and interesting designer.
In 1972 she joined the design team of the at the time leading Norwegian
silver company David-Andersen. As the youngest of the two new designers,
the other one being Erik Blom, she contributed in creating a new David-Andersen
style with the characteristic look of the 1970s. The idea of these pieces
was - more than had been the case in the 1960s, to let the forms bring
forth the lustre of the silver. Another trend, or source of inspiration,
was the retrospective look at the Jugend/Art Nouveau style, combining
the generous shapes with the brighter, new and modern colors of the 1970s.
Together with Erik Blom, Toril Bjorg made series of jewelry with brightly
colored enamel in green, orange and violet. While Blom left David-Andersen
already 1975, Toril Bjorg stayed until 1979. Her studio jewelry from the
same period has an informal and intimate character, traditional Norwegian
Solje jewelry in modern interpretation for casual everyday use, combining
silver with colorful silk cord and pieces of glass found by the sea.
After Post-graduate sculpture studies 1981/82 at the National College
of Applied Arts & Crafts, Oslo, Toril Bjorg moved in the direction
of larger studio made jewelry. In 1993 she held her first international
solo exhibition. It took place at the renowned 'Electrum' gallery in London,
the same gallery that gave Tone Vigeland a great international break through
in 1981. The jewerly of Toril Bjorg has also been exhibited in group exhibitions
in countries such as Japan, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom and in the
US, Mobilia Gallery, Cambridge.
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Pendant,
silver, 1970s.
Ring,
silver, 1970s.
Pendant,
silver, 1975.
Ring,
silver with enamel, 1970s.
Pendant,
silver, 1977.
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