Carolyn Kinnaird, Edinburgh College of Art
ARTS THREAD takes a look at a selection of the jewellery and precious metalwork on display at New Designers this year.
Carolyn Kinnaird from Edinburgh College of Art takes inspiration from the world around her, translating observational drawings and photographs into abstract lines, colour and geometric shapes. Combined with Carolyn’s love of organic and feminine jewellery, the result is delicate materials such as wool and thread on wire structures preserved through the use of resin.
Hanna Nielsen, Middlesex University
Middlesex University’s Hanna Nielsen showcased her project Sound Wear, with a series of hats and jewellery created from fine wood, with stringed earpieces that allow you to create and hear your own music through plucking the strings.
Cecilia Wong, Central Saint Martins
Cecilia Wong from Central Saint Martins has always seen Marie Antoinette as one of her favourite historical idols and her collection is inspired by the French queen and the Rococo era. Lace necklaces and bracelets adorned with tiny pastel flowers are delicate and fragile, made from precious silver, metal clay and polymer clay.
Alexandra Tosto, London Metropolitan University
Alexandra Tosto from London Metropolitan University explains that she ‘likes to give her pieces an intrinsic meditative quality through depth, visual geometric rhythm or phyical movement, to obtain a strong interaction between the piece and its wearer’. Shown above is the colourful Rhythmical Dimensions necklace in nylon, brass and silver and World in my Hand – silver hand jewellery that invites the wearer to play and interact with their jewellery.
Daniela Cardillo, National College of Art and Design Dublin
Daniela Cardillo, a graduate of the National College of Art and Design Dublin, is ‘concerned with finding beauty in death and discard. I’m intrigued by the components that make up a creature. When an animal dies, these parts lose their sense of function, and can then be studied and appreciated for their true aesthetics. Each piece is individually hand crafted, using traditional Victorian hair weaving techniques. The bones are electroformed and then goldplated, encasing individual relics of past lives.’
Jessica Ruth Howarth, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design
Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design’s Jessica Ruth Howarth has created a a colourful jewellery collection A House of Jewels that can be arranged together to form small miniature houses that can be taken apart and used as individual items. Jessica was inspired by a trip in India, and it is the vibrant colour and pattern that come over in the designs.
Kerri Manktelow, Sheffield Hallam University
Kerri Manktelow from the Metalwork & Jewellery course at Sheffield Hallam University explains: ‘My desire was to create silver pouring vessels that intrigue and surprise the user, the focus of each being the spout. The design and surface finish of each of the spouts aims to manipulate the flow of liquid, creating playful drama and stimulate conversation at the table.’ Shown above is the Water Flood vessel whose wide brim creates a fast cascading flow of liquid as it is poured and also the Oil and Vinegar Mingle – the vessel has two sections one for oil and one for vinegar, as it pours the two liquids mingle together to create a vinegrette.
Malin Ohlsson, Bucks New University
Malin Ohlsson from Bucks New University has created a tea set in silver embedded in a soft, huggable silicone so that it ‘feels like a nice warm hug from a lovely grandmother.’ In addition, the Water Jug, above left, is raised in fine silver, inspired by the womb, a pregnant woman and a proud duck and on the right, a small coco jug model rapid prototyped in a nylon material. The tea towel wrapped around it works both as handle and ‘tea cosy’.
Samantha Hesford, Birmingham City University
Birmingham Institute of Art & Design BCU’s Samantha Hesford has a fascination for tactile materials and has created a collection of vibrant wearable pieces made from foam clay, polstyrene balls, silicone tube, steel wire and silver casting nuggets. Samantha says: ‘The softness and curves are appealing aspects of my forms as are the texture, vibrant colour and over all composition. Each of my pieces are made entirely by hand, resulting in them being completely unique.’
Nicola Walster, Gray's School of Art RGU
Nicola Walster from Gray’s School of Art RGU has created a range of vessels in earthy colours inspired by both land and sea. ‘My Degree Show pieces are based on natural forms and my interpretation of the elements all around us in Scottish nature. I aimed to utilise the pure colours and qualities of each material through traditional craft methods.’
Inspiration from the shape of bulbs, pine cones, nuts and seeds are translated into contemporary jewellery homeware items, adding decoration using techniques such as horse hair ‘raku’. ‘I lay materials such as horse hair and feathers on to the pot surfaces whilst they were still hot which transferred the imprint creating an unusual design.’ Nicola’s pieces also include decoration cast from twigs and other materials from the forest floor cast in silver and brass.
Carolyn Kinnaird
Hanna Nielsen
Cecilia Wong
Daniela Cardillo
Jessica Ruth Howarth
Kerri Manktelow
Malin Ohlsson
Samantha Hesford
