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Overview
This pin and ribbon are an artist's personal response to the devastation of the Canterbury and Japanese earthquakes of February / March 2011. The pin is attached to a card bearing an image of colourful flowers and a dying rose attached to a fence barring the way to an earthquake damaged street in inner city Christchurch.
Jeweller Sarah Read was inspired by the story of Caroline Billing, director of The National gallery in Christchurch, who had lost her business premises in the 22 February 2011 earthquake, but continued to showcase jewellery via other means (such as the Host A Brooch project). Sarah wanted to 'put my heart and soul...to help the regeneration of Christchurch. If Christchurch loses places like The National, there won't be a beating heart'.So Sarah created a participatory project where people could stitch ribbons and pins together, then return them to her for display and sale. The pins were worn inside clothing where they had protective and healing qualities for the wearer. Funds raised from the sale of the pins were given to The National gallery.
This particular pin and card were part of an exhibition held at Toi Poneke Gallery, Wellington, in February 2012 called 'Handshake: Prentice & Prodigy', where twelve New Zealand jewellery graduates collaborated with the heroes who had inspired them.