The Goldsmiths’ Centre spots inspirational new talent at New Designers 2019
New Designers is the UK’s most important graduate design exhibition, full of innovation and fresh thinking. Every year, the Goldsmiths’ Centre talent spots up and coming designer-makers who are exhibiting within the show’s Jewellery & Contemporary Design Craft zone and demonstrate particular talent and skill, recognising them for their rising star potential.
On 26th June 2019, the Goldsmiths’ Centre recognised ten emerging designer makers and the Goldsmiths’ Company also announced the two winners of the prestigious New Designers Goldsmiths’ Company Awards for Jewellery and Silversmithing. This year’s judging panel included Director of the Goldsmiths’ Centre Peter Taylor, Silversmiths Clive Burr and Mary Ann Simmons, Jeweller Paul York, Freelance designer and Design Consultant Lorna Watson, Vocational Skills Consultant Robin Kyte and Programme Manager for Education Helen Dobson who between them have over 140 years’ experience in the industry.
Judges (l to r) Clive Burr, Robin Kyte, Peter Taylor, Lorna Watson, Anna Gordon, Richard Fox, Helen Dobson, Mary Ann Simmons, Paul York with winners
This year’s talent spotted designer makers selected by the Goldsmiths’ Centre include:
Abigail Chui
Abigail Chui captures and tells unique stories through her “thoughtfully” created jewellery designs. A current student at Glasgow School of Art, her work intrigues and inspires both the wearer and the onlooker. It was Abigail's alternative use of pearls which the Judges liked.
Danniella Jayne Wilde
The sentiments expressed through flowers, when given as a gift or used to mark a special occasion, are preserved in everlasting form by Danniella Wilde from University of the Creative Arts Farnham, who recreates flowers in silver - down to the most minute detail. The Judges loved Danniella's choice of subject matter and presentation.
Dong Ding
Jewellery designer maker Dong Ding creates collections of sculptural kinetic jewellery that investigate the idea of perfect balance. A graduate of Edinburgh College of Art, each piece can be reconnected creating new combinations of wearable art. The judges were impressed by his accuracy and innovative design.
Kit Garnett
Blacksmith Kit Garnett is an artist specialising in forged metalwork. A current student at Hereford College of Arts, his work investigates sudden changes and movements of energy, using regular forms in juxtaposition with fluid forms, freezing time into beautiful forms. Kit's gate, constructed beautifully from fluid forms caused the Judging panels to unanimously pick him.
Instagram: @kitthesmith
Lorna Romanenghi
Italian born Lorna Romanenghi, a student at Duncan and Jordanstone College of Art & Design captures the overlooked, the forgotten and lost beauty in her jewellery designs, transforming them into precious works of art. It was Lorna's sensitive use of coloured titanium throughout her body of work which drew the Judges to choose her.
Instagram: @lornadesign
Millicent Bradbrury
Millicent Bradbury is a Jewellery and Silversmithing student at Edinburgh College of Art whose patterned earrings and pendants draw to mind the simple and elegant sequences that occur in nature - like scales. However, her accuracy and skilled construction within her moveable pieces is what caught the Judges attention.
Instagram: @millicentbradbury
Sam Kelly
Inspired by historical artefacts and architecture, De Montford University student Sam Kelly layers ceramics and metals to create pieces that are striking for their purposefully repetitive and intricate patterns. The Judging Panel picked Sam's work for the clever way he builds clean lines into aesthetically pleasing centre pieces.
Instagram: @sdk_designer_maker
Trudy McVey
Electro-magnetic fields, energy, light, vibration - these are the natural phenomena that preoccupy DJCAD student Trudi Mcvey, manifested in the jewellery and metalwork that she creates. Trudy's attention to detail in making the front and back of her earrings equally well designed and finished is what caught the Judges eye.
Instagram: @vey_jewellery
William Romeril
A graduate of the University for the Creative Arts, Rochester, William began making jewellery in 2016 whilst completing an Art Foundation before quickly discovering his fascination with creating complex answers to everyday problems using precious metal. The Judging panel enjoyed interacting with Will's humorous work.
Qingyang Shen
Jewellery is not just decorative, but also a medium that bears and narrates intimate memories. Jewellery designer and silversmith Qingyang Shen’s collections seize emotional moments and captures these by imprinting them on objects. The wearer is involved in the process of making, translating their memories into tangible customised jewellery. A graduate of Edinburgh College of Art, the judges were particularly blown away by the thoughtful and precision of his brooch boxes.
Eleanor Whitworth
Eleanor Whitworth was presented with the Goldsmiths’ Company Award for Jewellery for her exemplary body of work “Together Living” demonstrating a series of ideas and diverse techniques. A recent graduate of Glasgow School of Art, her collection made in gold, silver, and base metal was inspired by complex and intricate symbiotic relationships occurring in the natural world- between many organisms such as algae and fungi within lichens, ants and aphids, and humans and microbes. Hundreds of tiny elements are combined to create sculptural brooches and more.
Harriet Jenkins
The winner of the Goldsmiths’ Company Award for Silversmithing is the talented silversmith Harriet Jenkins from Glasgow School of Art whose collection of pieces is inspired by cabbage leaves. A popular form in porcelain – particularly majolica - Harriet has brought the subject matter into silversmithing creating a range of white candlesticks and bowls by electroforming on to porcelain. Elsewhere in her collection metal bowls are cast from cabbage leaves and cabbage motifs adorn spoon handles.