Summer 2012 Jewellery Exhibition
Inspiring new designs from 9 jewellers:
On until late September 2012
Anna Baldwin
Anna is based in Buckinghamshire and started silversmithing at a college evening class – initially just as a recreational activity, she then set up her own tiny workshop where she could continue developing her own range of handmade and unique pieces.
She has always enjoyed creative activities and have previously worked a lot with textiles and dressmaking, which informs her jewellery in a number of ways – particularly in working out the construction techniques that sit behind a sometimes seemingly delicate end result. She works with natural forms and texture, getting inspiration from things around her, such as leaves and flowers; fluid forms such as fabric; and simply experimenting with the form and texture of the metal itself.
Alice Bo-Wen Chang
Previously trained as an architect, Alice approaches jewellery design as if constructing spaces on the topographic contours. Architectural elements are designed to form spaces that manipulate activities and movement. While jewellery cannot divorce itself from the human body, the most intimate space lies in between the body and the object(s).
She starts from a flat surface as it does not possess a spatial relationship, lines can be cut and pulled apart to create an animated form that express the expanded space. She then explores in a sculptural sense the interchangeability and interaction between the object and the wearer. Her inspiration comes from tessellating patterns in Chinese and Islamic architecture, and the mechanism of the sliding tile puzzle.
Alice aspires to her work being playful and fun. Experimenting with different metals, plastics, enamel, and combining innovative technology with traditional hand craft skills, she is always in search of new materials and new ways of working.
Anna Wales
Anna’s work is designed to create a powerful visual impact along with an enticing tactility. It features a combination of felt and silver, which are arranged to form stark contrasts or subtle transformations throughout a singular piece. Much of Anna’s inspiration is drawn from the act of making itself. As she watches one piece emerge, new ideas begin to bloom, often through looking at individual elements or by playing with the materials. Whilst a lot of Anna’s work references natural and organic forms she is not aware of being directly influenced by these objects. More the pieces themselves develop and grow as plants do. Anna constantly tries to return to her original themes and set out to ensure each piece is aesthetically distinct, pleasingly tactile, and enjoyable to wear.
Emma Palmer
Emma’s work derives from an obsession with the manipulation of a line; the way in which it is possible to manipulate a single line of thread into a complex structure using only my hands and basic skills. In particular, tatting, a currently ‘unfashionable’ textiles process that involves knotting threads in specific ways to form loops and lines.
She likes to stay true to the technique yet give it a strong contemporary feel.
Hannah Davies
Forms in nature inspire Hanna’s jewellery.
Her ideas start as she is walking round the countryside and beach collecting seed pods, dead insects and tide delights. She hammers, moulds and melts silver sheet into organic forms. Recently Hannah has been using resin to suspend found objects in the moulded silver.Her ‘Spice Rack’ range uses kitchen spices to add colour and pattern to the silver.The ‘Cornish beach’ collection includes silver curlew silhouettes, and uses sand, shell and glass worn by the sea.
Currently Hannah is expanding the worn beach glass idea, creating ‘Bowls of sea’ by crushing the glass and adding tiny bits of seaweed, coral, shell etc. to give a rock pool effect that changes in the sunlight.
Mirri Damer
Following a foundation course at Chelsea college of art and a degree in sculpture, Mirri’s work was selected for the New Contemporaries Award 1989 and has been exhibited at ICA London, Cornerhouse Manchester and other various galleries.
After a change in direction and scale, Mirri took an extended studies course at Sir John Cass, London, and she began working as a jeweller. She was employed for six years by an internationally acclaimed designer. Intially as a maker, and then as a designer.
After re-locating to Cornwall, Mirri started her own business and her award winning work can be seen in shops and galleries nationally and internationally.
“..the jewellery that I design and make is a result of recording what I see while walking on the cornish coast. The beauty in nature provides endless inspiration for me..”
Leoma Drew
Leoma uses various motifs like butterflies, birds, leaves and flowers as symbols that become metaphors and allegories to depict memories, the fleeting nature of life and the journey of one’s life’s experiences.
The objects act as references and the decorative qualities of the pieces then conceal the complexities of the content. I am now incorporating these motifs with solid shapes and stone setting for an even more abstract and contemporary feel.
She finds her wearable jewellery and objects are influenced by each other and wearable pieces represent sentimentality which is enhanced by the intimacy created between objects and the body”.
Jana Reinhardt
Jana Reinhardt Jewellery is a collaboration between award-winning goldsmith Jana Reinhardt and British jewellery designer and husband Ross Cutting. Jana’s whimsical and playful style is reflected in each unique jewellery piece. Her love of wildlife and art are evident in all of her collections.
Each piece of Jana’s handcrafted, contemporary designer jewellery is made here in Great Britain to the highest standards.Jana Reinhardt’s handmade jewellery collections and award winning bespoke jewellery have been featured in high profile fashion magazines and can be found on the shelves of luxury boutiques. Shop online for an exceptional range of women’s contemporary designer jewellery or visit us at our studio near Hatton Garden in the heart of London’s jewellery quarter.
Sally Grant
Inspired by the complex and abstract patterns that occur in nature and how something that is transient can be distilled into something precious. Sally uses photography to capture snapshots and moments of time and the contrast of naturally occurring random patterns and textures to explore how this can be related to decoration and ornament in jewellery.
Decoration and ornament, specifically antique textiles and ceramics inspire Sally. Hand-painted, gilded, embroidered or woven, Sally is drawn to intricate handcrafted detail and textural qualities. She uses real images of nature to recreate these themes in her work. Sally aims to create vibrant and wearable pieces. The photo-etching technique allows her to translate and frame the images in precious metals while the organic nature of enameling techniques brings colour and vibrancy.