Ilona Treiman ”FIRE”

“The word “FIRE” has different meanings in estonian which allow for parallel readings to emerge. We have been moving forwards at such a fast pace that it felt like there was fire (tuli – fire) beneath our feet. Eventually, we had to (tuli – had to) stop and look for balance.

The importance of fire in the life and work of a metal artist is undeniable. In metal forging and casting, fire is powerfully dominant: fire represents passion, heat and enthusiasm while creating something new. It can represent both beginnings and endings. Strike while the iron is hot — capturing the right moment is crucial. Fire can be beautiful, magical, purifying, illuminating and warming, but at the same time it can be destructive. It is tricky to tame fire. In fact, a metal artist could even be called a fire juggler.

Annual, increasingly common wildfires have made the world rethink and look at the effects of climate change on our planet, see the change in flora and fauna. I add elements of nature to my work which will be part of the disappeared world in the future. When we see how vulnerable and fragile we are when fighting against the fire, our values change. How are we supposed to find the balance then? We know that all things break when great force is applied. This poses a Shakespearian question: to be or not to be? I consider and reflect the life path through the symbols hidden in the works and with the help of dialogue.

When we see how vulnerable and fragile we are when fighting against the fire, our values change. How are we supposed to find the balance then? We know that all things break when great force is applied. This poses a Shakespearian question: to be or not to be? I consider and reflect the life path through the symbols hidden in the works and with the help of dialogue.

In fire, there is a dialogue of opposites, collisions, movement through time, and balance. The world is like a double-edged sword: when one blade is of feather and the other of sharp steel, which one has more weight?”

– Ilona Treiman

Ilona Treiman is a jewelry and metal artist and teacher, who uses different materials and techniques in her work, characterised by a sculptural approach. She has graduated from metalworking at the Estonian Academy of Arts (1984), is a member of the Estonian Artists Association, Ornamo Art and Design Finland and The Union of Finnish Art Associations. She has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions, most notably at Limoges (1990, -92, -94), Cincinnati USA (1989, -91), Moscow and Tallinn (1985 -1990), Tokio (1992), Denmark, Beijing (2004) and Berlin (2005, -16), She has taken part of the nomadic exhibition Baltic and Nordic Jewelry Art (Denmark-Finland-Sweden, 1991) and the exhibition in Seoul South Korea (2011). She had a solo exhibition in the Art Museum of Hyvinkää (2012). In 2019, she received the Ede Kurrel prize of the The Estonian Association of Jewelry and Blacksmiths. Her works are part of the collection of the Estonian Museum of Applied Art And Design, Nordic Museum in Vaasa and private collections in France, USA, England, Finland, Denmark, Italy.