Romantic bond with crystals

Jacky Menhennet's beads caught my attention a long time ago, long enough for me to realise that this woman, who claimed beading was just a hobby, had the talent to impress. Over the years, she truly has, and amazingly so. But before I touch upon the latest developments in her beading, I must step back in time to describe how beads landed firmly in this artist's lap.

Before she started beading, Jacky worked in an office. Plainly put, plainly said. It was a good job, but getting her nowhere - no excitement, no fulfilment. Her existential crisis manifested itself relentlessly, until the day she took her dog to the groomers' and saw this lady carrying a delicate miniature bouquet of flowers in a frame. "It was my first visual experience of this antique craft and I was truly amazed." Eventually she grabbed the opportunity to learn ganutell at a local council course. The lessons were to be the first of a long series of learning experiences that saw her through Monastery work, French beading, Victorian beading...

It was at that stage, simply a hobby... but that did not deter Jacky from going all out and splurging on beads.

"I was awestruck and quickly became truly addicted to beads. I would go out and buy massive amounts, different shades, shapes, sizes, materials. Eventually I found this was to my benefit, as the variety allowed me to experiment further and further, allowing my creativity to really go overboard."

Her first creations hit the Maltese headlines way back in 2002, after which she exhibited at Cleland & Souchet. It was the beginning of something grander than she ever expected, with 160 guests turning up on the first open day. 2004 saw Jacky's work on show at the Manoel Theatre and international recognition arrived soon afterwards when she landed a third prize in a Paris-based contest for bead artists. Her entry was a necklace made of ganutell including silver metal, Swarovski crystals and a jet crystal for centrepiece. Placing third out of 211 contestants and 268 entries made it obvious that Jacky's necklace had caught the eye of the judges.

But what is the secret behind her growing success? An obvious reason is her inbred inventiveness, which does not stem from pre-ordered plans, but rather depends upon the very beads at hand. "I just let the beads lead me on... I never set out with a design ready-made in my mind. But as I bead, mix and match the individual colours, something begins to evolve and that is the start of a new design."

Although this might seem a haphazard way to tackle things, Jacky is anything but haphazard in her preparation.

Dedication, organisation, patience and creativity conjointly play a huge part in the making of her jewels. Her desk literally groaned with all the beads it was carrying, but everything was orderly, organised and laid out ready for the picking. Even today, from her present home in Abu Dhabi, Jacky always spends her days uniquely beading and keeping an eye on her numerous pets which are a staple ingredient of her life.

Following her husband's career move to Abu Dhabi in the Middle East, Jacky was initially slightly lost, but only just long enough to realise the new land was full of awe-inspiring inspiration. "I am aware of the different colours and textures of this desert country and the Islamic traditions in art. I have made, for example, beaded Eid gifts for the end of Ramadan with Arabic writing in them, something I had never done before. I expect some of my work to be more and more influenced by the new culture I am now exposed to."

But was it difficult to get hold of beads and crystals in Abu Dhabi? Jacky says, "Not really, if you know where to go. I buy a lot from Crystal House in Dubai who are Swarovski resellers and I recently discovered Dragon Mart in Dubai, a kilometre-long Chinese shopping mall where you can buy freshwater pearls, coral, semi-precious stones and jewellery accessories. So far, in Abu Dhabi, there are no sources for materials but Dubai is only an hour away.

As she absorbed the scenario, new opportunities came her way. "Last year there was a major conference of all the rulers and ministers of the Gulf States at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi to mark the 35th anniversary of the UAE's founding. I knew the executive housekeeper of the hotel and I offered to make a UAE flag in crystal for the hotel to present to the President. The trouble was, I had only three days to make this and I don't think the hotel believed it would be possible. Undeterred, I ordered nearly 5,000 Swarovski crystals from Dubai and worked 43 hours straight putting them together and delivered the flag a day early. I didn't get any feedback about the gift but I hope the President liked it!"

Things were set to change fast after she caught the attention of the Swarovski representatives in Dubai. A friend and clothes designer from Dubai organised a photoshoot for the Gulf News' Friday magazine to allow Jacky to showcase her jewellery to a wider audience. "About 100,000 copies of the magazine circulate every Friday so it was too good an opportunity to miss. The creative designer for Swarovski's Middle East headquarters in Dubai noticed the article and called me. I met him and showed him some pieces I had made - one of my stars, handbag, crystal collar, pearl necklace etc and as Pete my husband was bringing each item out of the box, these two designers were getting quieter and quieter so I was rather worried! Turns out they were totally, awestruck - they said they have never, ever seen things like this all made by one person. And that was it: Straight in as one of their designated designers and the only jewellery designer on their books for now."

Jacky is now looking forward to seeing her work featured in the Swarovski Crystallised Magazine which goes to every Swarovski agent worldwide. Another upcoming project will see her participating in jewellery workshops in collaboration with design courses held at universities and colleges in the Middle East.

The people at Abu Dhabi have coined her Queen Bead. Women in the UAE like extravagant fashion. "They go for plenty of 'bling' - despite the media portrayal of them as withdrawn individuals covered head to foot in abayas and shelyas. Under those cloaks they wear very fashionable clothes and jewellery. Here in Abu Dhabi, I make more of the big and bold end of my designs now, and make crystal accessories for mobile phones - everyone you see is constantly on the phone. Then there are the brides. I used to enjoy creating special bridal items in Malta, but here in the Emirates, weddings are something out of this world. Weddings are a very big event for Emirati families: You can find out where your nearest wedding is by following the flags along the roadsides which lead the guests to the bride's house, and when you get there the house will be strung with thousands of white lights over the outside. The bride and all the female guests spend a lot of time and money in preparing for the celebrations and jewellery is a necessary part of the whole affair."

And in keeping with this tradition, Jacky also participated in the international Dubai Bride Show as Swarovski's leading designer for the event. Swarovski presented a glittering grand finale with some stunning pieces of Jacky's collection - bejewelled belts, pearl tiaras, necklaces and earrings.

And so, in between working in her studio, where she admits she never has enough room for all the materials and never has enough beads to satisfy her creative cravings, and showing off her work at international fora, she watches over the garden and her beautiful animals which she simply cannot live without. Although she's not sure whether she can eventually settle permanently in the UAE and will probably move on to new pastures, she knows her beading will remain high on her list of imperatives.