Steel tales: Crafting the Unseen No.10- The eighth story behind "Wrought"
I think this will be the last story for “Wrought.” I noticed a new image on egetal’s webpage and realized that one of the pieces has sold. I believe it’s the first sale from the new collection.
My practice has evolved along two different paths. One focuses on production, involving a repetitive manufacturing process. I began with black mild steel jewellery, creating simple forms like domes and honeycombs, and experimented with color on these forms. For this new series, however, I decided to keep to a monochrome palette, using only black and white.
The recession has intensified my concerns, as sales have been very low, and everything feels unusually quiet—except at the jewellery supply store where I work part-time. People still make jewellery and need tools, materials, and equipment. But where do these makers sell their work, and how do they make a living from it? This question has been with me since I started my jewellery business in 2010. I know there are ways to increase my income: expanding domestic and international sales outlets, participating in large design markets in Australia, or even creating pieces with high-value materials like gold.
However, in this era of social media, where everyone seems instantly connected, I feel that you must engage in various spaces—workshops, exhibitions, competitions, awards, and jewellery communities—to make yourself and your work visible. More importantly, you need to connect and communicate with those you resonate with. This is all part of the game.
Reflecting on the path I’m carving in this world, I trace it back to my first creation: a pair of custom hoops for a client’s surprise birthday gift.
Alphabet, “R” hoops -custom earrings powdercoated silver and mild steel.
When they are worn.
Two things are crucial when making hoop earrings: the structure itself and how it presents when worn. My journey with hoops began with a commission to create a design around the letter “R,” which sparked many new ideas and sources of inspiration. Since then, I’ve crafted numerous hoop earrings in various colors and geometric forms. Hoops are unique in that they rely on the earlobe to complete their form, which may be why people find them so appealing—they truly make sense as a piece of jewellery.
One essential functional element in my hoop design is the silver loop that secures the piece through the earlobe. Unlike typical hoops, my design leverages the tension within the structure, making it easy to put on and take off.
Three different shapes and colors of hoops—these are my favorites. The first green hoops are inspired by the letter “q”
For the “Wrought” series, I modified the silver loop to be worn differently. Using tension within the structure might make it either too easy or too difficult for some to wear, so I added a small saddleback clasp with a silver earwire that clicks into place. I also inlaid silver onto the hoops and then powder-coated them in matte black. I think I could experiment with various patterns in these simple hoop earrings by using different perforation design
Detailed images of silver inlays
Completed piece.
I think I need some final words to wrap up the story behind “Wrought.” This series reflects my interpretation of the exhibition theme, “Site Specific,” at egetal, as part of Radiantpavilion. It has been fascinating to discover forms and lines within my geometric, perforated jewellery by inlaying silver into the holes. The geometry of these perforations already holds its own graphic quality; my role is simply to reveal it.
This is the second path I will take. I plan to continue experimenting with forms, exploring the pathways already inlaid within.
