Cercare / Trovare

Cercare/Trovare is an exhibition presenting the physical and theoretical findings associated with Bobby Corica’s 2022 Fellowship supported by the Italian/Australian foundation and the International Specialised Skills Institute (ISS Institute). The exhibition explores new materials and techniques within his contemporary jewellery practice, including glass (flame and lampworking) and leather. Bobby learnt to work with these new materials directly from artisan makers in Italy who are internationally renowned for their mastery and skill, along with their sustainability practices in the studio.

For the exhibition, Bobby presents a series of wearable, functional and decorative objects. The series demonstrates the importance of first discerning and selecting the materials as the foundation of each piece. The leather used is part of a selection of waste materials reclaimed from the big fashion houses across Italy. The metals come from Bobby’s ongoing cyclical approach in the studio and have all been refined, recycled and repurposed from offcuts, scrap and older works. The glass is purposefully clear and uncoloured and has been chosen in anticipation of future use/reuse in his studio.

The exhibition forms part of the launch of Conscious Craft – a Craft Victoria initiative showcasing innovative creations by makers and designers who are actively considering sustainability and ethics in their production methods and use of materials.

Bobby Corica is a self-taught jeweller and artist based in Naarm/Melbourne. Since establishing his practice in 2019, he has been handcrafting intuitive and finely wrought jewellery from his Brunswick East studio. His experimental designs explore the intersection of traditional silversmithing techniques with abstracted contemporary forms, pushing the limits of his materials to explore ideas of sustainability and inheritance. Central to Bobby's practice is a value for material provenance and closed-looped systems of reuse. His work has been exhibited nationally, including at the NGV, Melbourne Design Week, Craft Victoria, and JamFactory.