Contemporary Jewellery
Exhibition
14th November - 31st December 2014
& Collective Art Gallery
t -01786 359864 e -info@andcollective.co.uk w - andcollective.co.uk 28 Henderson Street, Bridge of Allan, FK9 4HR
Contemporary Jewellery Exhibition 14th November - 31st December 2014
Katherine Agnew Emma Calvert Shimara Carlow Chloe Herrero Rhiannon Lewis Rebecca Little Jenny Llewellyn Claire Lowe Fiona Luing Heather McDermott Rhona McCallum Elaine McKay Alison Phillips Sarah Pulvertaft Stephanie Ray Sophie Stamp Kirsty Stewart Beth Watson Misun Won
Katherine Agnew
BA (Hons) Degree Silversmithing and Jewellery, Glasgow School of Art Inspired predominantly by the landscape of Scotland; from coast to the highlands, Katherine Agnew’s designs are built on repetition of the intricate patterns that are rooted in these environments. Her interest in this area has lead to research into the art of story telling in the form of music and song, to produce jewellery that represents more than just the landscape but tells the story of the setting in which it is situated. The main structures of the jewellery are made from precious metals; colour and contrast is then introduced through the use of pearls and gemstones. To convey a sketch like quality in my work the repeated patterns are pierced by hand.
Emma Calvert
BA (Hons) Textile Design from Central St. Martins, London Emma Calvert creates bold textile jewellery by fusing traditional techniques with sculptural forms and contemporary colours. Combining textiles with precious metals, she explores the idea of making two-dimensional fabric into a three-dimensional form through weaving, folding and knotting. Drawing inspiration from cities across Europe; elements of fashion, fine art and history are referenced in Emma’s colour palette. A recent trip to Palermo, Sicily, inspired the colours for her current collection with a visit to the Cappella Palatina and it’s intricate mosaics. Emma established her business in 2011 with an initial commission to design and create large-scale catwalk pieces for fashion designer Gareth Roberts. These were modelled on the catwalk at FashionClash Maastricht in June 2011. She has since experimented with the technique by varying scale and incorporating a variety of materials including silk, velvet and polyester. Recently Emma has developed her range of loom-woven jewellery, combining silk with fine silver.
Shimara Carlow
BA (Hons) Jewellery and Silversmithing, Glasgow School of Art Shimara Carlow was born in a remote coastal area in West Cork, Southern Ireland in 1979. After completing a degree in Silversmithing and Jewellery in 2001, and went on to a 2 year residency at Bishopsland Workshops in South Oxfordshire In 2004 Shimara moved to London where she set up her own business and workshop, and in 2008 she re located to Melbourne Australia, where she now has a studio in the beautiful grounds of the Abbotsford Convent. Shimara’s jewellery has been inspired by natural forms, primarily seed pods. She uses silver, 18ct gold, silk paper and gum nuts to create her tactile jewellery. Collections include Gum Nut, neckpieces, rings and earrings constructed from both silver and real gum nuts and Honesty, whitened and reticulated silver ovals, which resemble honesty leaves, constructed in to long articulated neckpieces and bracelets
Chloe Herrero
BA (Hons) Silversmithing, Goldsmithing & Jewellery University for the Creative Arts Chloe’s collection explores the definition of perfection, focusing on the paradox of perfect imperfection. The definition of perfection is when there is nothing to add or subtract, and according to that, Greek artists in the past found the circle or the sphere as the most perfect form, as nothing can be added or subtracted from it. This collection tries to connect with peoples feelings by appealing to the pressure of being perfect. The act of wearing jewellery itself describes humans desires to look perfect. By wearing my jewellery you become the paradox, you are wearing something imperfect to look perfect. The aim of this collection is to embrace the beauty of imperfections. Every piece outcome is unpredictable hence each piece is imperfectly different from the others. Taking inspiration from this, the Perfect Imperfection collection explores the notion of how a circle, the most perfect form, can become imperfect or even more perfect by manipulating it. This concept is translated through the use of simple circular forms that are manipulated, distorted or distressed through a range of processes including reticulation, rolling and etching, largely focusing on silver. In conjunction with the metal, agate and lava rocks are also used to emphasize the variation of surface and the potential of the concept.
Rhiannon Lewis
Jewellery, Silversmithing, Sir John Cass Department of Art & Design, London Rhiannon uses a muted palate of silver, oxidised silver and gold, combined with uncut precious and semi-precious stones Rhiannon creates spectacular and one off jewellery. Working with subtle curves, arcs and teardrop shapes Rhiannon explores the relationship between rough, uncut stones and beautiful, owing metal work. Contemporary, yet elegant and accessible Rhiannon’s collections offer completely original designs.
Rebecca Little
PGDip Jewellery and Silversmithing, Bishopsland Educational Trust. British/Bermudian jeweller, Rebecca is an emerging contemporary jewellery designer, who graduated from UCA in Farnham, UK and from the Bishopsland Postgraduate Training Course, UK in 2007. Her beautiful designs are inspired by delicate, owing fabrics with their rich textures, agility and softness. She is fascinated with the relationship between textile and metal and this is clearly demonstrated in her intriguing collection where she explores recreating textile like qualities in precious metals. For Rebecca, movement and tactility are most important, so she has developed her own technique that translates these qualities to create intricate, spiralling and elegant pieces that are beautiful to look at and sensuous to wear.
Jenny Llewellyn
BA (Hons) Jewellery, Middlesex University Jenny Llewellyn is a jewellery designer-maker based at Cockpit Arts in Holborn, London. Inspired by the luminous colours, shapes and movement of underwater life, Jenny’s work is characterised by handcrafted, organic forms of precious metals, combined with vibrant bursts of silicone. Jenny’s practice is driven by experimentation. Experimentation with colour and experimentation with material, combining precious with non-precious, to create tactile and fun pieces, available in the full spectrum of colours, from discreet pops of monochrome, to full statement colour-fades. Central to Jenny’s practice is her pioneering use of silicone. Often mistaken for glass or plastic, silicone is surprisingly soft, light and durable, resulting in unique and wearable contemporary jewellery design – a celebration of colour!
Claire Lowe
BA Silversmithing, Jewellery and Allied Crafts, London Metropolitan University Claire Lowe uses a variety of mixed media materials to create jewellery at her home studio in Middlesex. Claire is a keen tea drinker and at university started to use tea as a material, as her experimentation progressed she became interested in the tradition of tea drinking and tea paraphernalia. Her continual interest in materials and processes helps her work progress, she ďŹ nds her work develops best when working and experimenting. Contradictory textures and feelings are seen in the knitted/woolen range, putting soft surfaces and materials inside hard plastic and creating a visual texture without a sensory feeling.
Fiona Luing
Edinburgh College of Art Fiona spends the majority of her time exploring new techniques and trying to improve on the fundamental ones. Working on how to make something new, and solving the puzzles that invevitably arise gives Fiona a great sense of achievement. Much of the work explores curves and circular forms, with recent stone setting experiments naturally developing into rounded and bevelled settings. A starting point for recent work has been looking for bright eye catching gems, then designing the jewellery as an extension of the stone. Fiona’s latest collection investigates colour theory and how complimentary colours enhance each other while being opposite.
Heather McDermott
BA (Hons) Jewellery & Silversmithing, Edinburgh College of Art The tideline of Skye is a treasure trove of unique objects discarded from the urban environment and deposited by the power of the Hebridean swell. Here rope, wood and plastic take on a subtler identity as wind and wave shape, and re-shape form and colour. The continually changing shoreline is her constant source of inspiration and ‘tidal surge’ is the contemporary interpretation of these surroundings. Stainless steel is hand formed into soft geometric shapes mimicking fishing nets and lobster pots. Repetition creates chaotic chain which is then embellished with weathered discs of vivid colour inspired by washed up buoys. Heather McDermott Jewellery is based in the beautiful southern peninsula of the Isle of Skye in Aird. She loves to work collaboratively with other designers especially in editorials with a strong fashion influence.
Rhona McCallum
MA Jewellery, Edinburgh College of Art Rhona McCallum is an award winning designer and maker of contemporary jewellery in precious metals and natural stone, working from her studio in Glasgow. Since graduating in 2013 Rhona has exhibited her jewellery world wide. The collection Metamorphic is inspired by the powerful natural forces that shape the landscape. Through forging and casting in metal and carving stone I mimic the aggressive processes of rock formation and erosion, aiming to translate the rough, weathered qualities of a stone surface onto metal. Materials: Sterling silver, 18ct gold, pewter, iron, slate, marble, steel.
Elaine McKay
BA (Hons) Jewellery Design & Technology, North Glasgow College Elaine’s journey to becoming a jeweller has been rewarded with the numerous awards she has gained through entering competitions and college. Inspirations for her jewellery designs have primarily focused on the world around her with the emphasis on the vast amount of information relating to evolution and botanical structures e.g the variety of textures, patterns and colours that nature provides for us which are never identical or stay the same.
Alison Phillips
BA (Hons) Jewellery & Silversmithing, Edinburgh College of Art Alison set up her workshop after Graduating from Edinburgh College of Art in 2005, designing and creating work for Galleries and Exhibitions throughout the UK, from her studio in Dunblane. Inspired by botanical forms, Alison ďŹ rst records her ideas through sketches and drawings, before translating her designs into silver, forming feminine and delicate pieces.
Sarah Pulvertaft
BA Visual Arts, Sydney College of the Arts Sarah established her jewellery workshop in London in 1995, now based in rural Oxfordshire she continues to sell her distinctive brand of contemporary jewellery to private clients and through shops and galleries in the UK and worldwide. Sarah is a member of Craft Central’s Designer’s Network. Her jewellery has been featured in magazines such as Harpers and Queen, Arena, Loaded, Elle, Time Out, The Sunday Telegraph and Preview.
Stephanie Ray
Loughborough Collge of Art and Design. She now works from her studio at Cockpit Arts, an exciting complex housing many designers of various disciplines based in central London. Steph’s jewellery designs have always owed themselves to her love of clean lines and simple forms. As her work has developed pieces now frequently also focus on the inclusion of contrasting wooden elements too, the delicate patterns of bamboo, warmth of walnut and understated glamour of ebony. ‘The addition of another material creates so many more exciting design opportunties that just ask to be explored’
Sophie Stamp
BA (Hons) Applied Arts, Plymouth College of Art and Design Skilfully constructed and intriguingly unique, Sophie Stamp’s tactile and kinetic jewellery ranges offer an interactive jewellery experience. Inspired by the beauty and movement of hidden mechanical components, the award-winning craftswoman engineers wearable pieces just crying out to be played with. From mesmerising spinning pendants embellished with fine lines of pure gold to her signature rolling rings, each piece is individually handcrafted by the designer in her studio. Sophie is fascinated by the temptation we have as humans, to fiddle and play with items worn or held about the person. She marries this with an appreciation of everyday mechanical instruments and technical objects that are regarded by most as being merely functional, but are on closer inspection, often constructed from elegant and beautiful shapes and components interacting with one another. She is very much concerned with the making process itself and interpreting age old, traditional hand techniques in a contemporary way. Sophie enjoys the challenge of making pieces that may look simple, but are very technical in their construction, and she uses various silversmithing techniques including gold inlay, repoussé and anticlastic forming on a very small scale, enabling her to engineer minimal, tactile forms in precious metal.
Kirsty Stewart
BA (Hons) Jewellery and Silversmithing, Edinburgh College of Art Kirsty Stewart is a young Scottish jewellery designer maker; she uses traditional craftsmanship combined with contemporary design to produce her beautifully hand crafted jewellery collection. Since graduating in 2013 she was accepted onto the prestigious ‘Vanilla Ink’ programme, an incubator space for jewellers to set up their businesses. Birds; in particular their flight and feathers; inform Kirsty’s work. In some pieces she creates scenes and scenarios of flight, others are focused on the details, patterns and textures of feathers. She creates her work using traditional techniques such as forging to manipulate the metal and achieve the desired textures and patterns. She combines precious metals with both precious and semi precious stones to incorporate colour into her work. Kirsty Stewart Jewellery provides uniquely designed handmade jewellery. Furthermore she offers a personal service for commissions and repairs once loved jewellery.
Beth Watson
BA (Hons) Three Dimensional Design, Grays School of Art, Aberdeen Taking inspiration from historical sources, Beth creates, contemporary designs which explore a combination of deep-rooted traditional jewellery making techniques with new technology.
Misun Won
MA Jewellery, Edinburgh College of Art After graduated from Edinburgh College of Art in 2008 with a master degree, Misun has worked at ECA as an artist in residency and a visiting lecturer. She recently won a finalist in professional category in contemporary jewelry awards Enjoia’t, FAD, Barcelona 2011 and a gold award for Fashion Production Jewellery in Goldsmiths’ Craftsmanship & Design Award in 2008. She has been exhibiting her jewellery in UK, Europe, and USA. Now she is working from her studio in Edinburgh.