This year, Class of 2017 celebrates the

exciting work of some of the country’s finest

graduates whose work focuses on structure

and form. The selected artists turn the design

traditions of their respective fields on their

heads, whilst continuing to honour skill and

technique.

Class of 2017; Structural Composition 13 Jan - 11 Mar 2018

ExhibitionPrice List

2. Adrienn Pesti Jewellery2a. Spectrum B bangle blue D shape £5002b. Spectrum B brooch blue with £6002c. beYo(u)n brooch pink clustered circles £14002d. United neck piece colourful components £3400 6. Elizabeth Natul Nenge Ceramics6a-6l. Outgrowing planter terracotta units £50 (each)

7. Ellie Taylor Jewellery7a-7b. Simple Extravagance brooch small £175 (each)7c-7f. Simple Extravagance brooch large £225 (each)

8. Isla Christie Jewellery8a. Digital Icons interchangeable pin/earring from £65 - £90

9. Jack Griffin Jewellery / BlocksBuilding blocks 9a set one £729b set two £729c set three £369d-9f. brooch small £18 (each)9g-9l. brooch large £42 (each)

12. Jahday Ford Glass12a-12c. Breathe vase multi-coloured £750 (each)12d-12g. Deconstruct vase multi-coloured £300 (each) 14. Sam Lander Objects14a. Whirligig Lampshade concrete £20014b. Whirligig Vase concrete £200 13. Katy Grieve Knitted Textiles13a. Zig-Zag dress size 8 £50013d. Buddha Jumper size 8 £700

Image: Brutalist Brooch, Jack Griffin

Many of the designers in this year’s showcase explore architecture, taking shapes from existing buildings or adopting the traits of architectural movements like Brutalism and Baroque.

Class of 2017 pays special tribute to jewellery thanks to the immense skill and innovation expressed by this year’s contemporary jewellers. Look out for work made from experimental materials such as paper and jesmonite!

Paris to Birmingham

1. Abbie Owen Thomas

Birmingham School of JewelleryDecorative ArtsMaterials: copper, silver, enamel

Abbie Owen-Thomas aims to draw attention to the forgotten spaces and unnoticed landscapes within our cities. She is interested in the concept of city culture and the small details that are forgotten or fade away in time.

Abbie uses the colours and structures of buildings, as well as the human markings that can be found on their surfaces. She has singled out these details for her work, focusing on the cities of Birmingham and Paris.

“The importance of colour is essential within my work; when looking for colours in a city environment it can be full of grey, but when you spot the yellows, pinks, blues and whites, you cannot but help to take in the building in its entirety. The variety of colour is then translated into earrings and necklaces that hang freely from the body….you should take notice of the small things, pay attention to your surroundings and enjoy your cultural experiences more with a bit of jewellery to help you on the way.” - Abbie Owen-Thomas

The main focus of the jewellery is the use and combination of enamel with texture and the simple ‘wonky’ outlines which all reflect on the wear and tear of city culture. The silver wire frames are designed to surround the importance of detail, drawing attention to the colours of enamel.

Degree Show Collection

2. Adrienn Pesti

The Glasgow School of ArtJewellery and SilversmithingMaterials: silk clay, enamel, steel, white board

Adrienn Pesti is a jeweller who is interested in social alienations expressed through stereotypes and prejudices, and is motivated to generate possible methods to overcome these judgements. Inspiration lies in creating platforms for people from all walks of life, investing their relationships with fellow humans and their environment. Thus, she is interested in how jewellery can function as an object to prompt social interactions and lead to integrations. Her main focus is to reconnect alienated people from the margins of society by her pieces that carry their own visual language to stimulate interactions in an engaging, often playful manner. Her work reverts us to an almost childlike curiosity. The bright colours and unique textures appeal to the senses, traits that all humans share. Her current project nurtures her concept through contemporary industrial enamelling, laser welded steel and silk clay.

The New Stripe

13. Katy Grieve

Nottingham Trent UniversityFashion Knitwear DesignMaterials: mercerised cotton, elastane, polyamide

‘The New Stripe’ is a project that explores new methods of creating the stripe in knitwear, playing with clothing, the body and environment. Manipulating our preconceived restrictions of what a body should look like to be beautiful, this project allows us to dress up and camouflage from the harsh criticism of the outer world with new comfort. As knitwear is the most mouldable garment form, it allows many forms of manipulation on the body, sculpting and contouring, playing with forms to give the body new meaning in relation to the stripe in women’s wear. It strongly refers to principles of Dazzle Camouflage and its power to hide or expose as graphic camouflage of a body in its environment.

Through use of techniques this project explores traditional methods to enhance how we wear clothing on the body. The project shows a new array of skills acquired in knitwear through the use of machinery such as Power-knit Shima and Stoll machines as well as Dubied, domestic machines and hand knit techniques. The concept’s main focus was to create new exciting textures in knits that represent the stripe in abstract forms, adding to the new shapes that Katy explored. The collection redefines the stripe in the current knitwear industry.

Whirligig

14. Sam Lander

Manchester School of Art Three Dimensional DesignMaterials: concrete, foam, plaster

With this collection of work Sam Lander tries to take away the stigma that we have in Britain of concrete as a cold, lifeless, brutal material only used in construction. The issue faced when using concrete in design is the weight, so by playing with the boundaries of maker and inventor Sam created a process that sought to resolve these issues. The process which is now named ‘Whirligig’, meaning rotary, uses centrifugal force to produce a hollow concrete object. A mould is placed on a converted washing machine and then spun up forcing the concrete up the sides of the mould. Expandable foam is also used, forcing the concrete to become tactile and visually playful with its bright pink colour. Sam chose to work with concrete for the material benefits that it has in construction and envisioned these benefits could be transferred over into small-scale design.

Image: Paris to Birmingham, Abbie Owen Thomas

Image: Degree Show Collection, Adrienn Pesti

Image: Degree Show Collection, Adrienn Pesti

Image: The New Stripe, Katy Grieve

Image: Whirligig, Sam Lander

Gifts, Message Dolls

4. Anna Manfield

Nottingham Trent University Decorative ArtsMaterials: Beech, Toy safe paints

Anna Manfield is a designer and illustrator who creates work of sculptural wooden blocks which encourage play and creativity in both adults and children. Anna has developed her skills in wood turning to produce beautiful objects, combining art and traditional craft.

‘Gifts’is a series of free stacking blocks, used to explore the curiosity of material objects and their relative spacial importance. Abstract in form, the wooden shapes are undetermined, revealing a different image to every viewer.

‘Message dolls’ are inspired by traditional Japanese Kokeshi dolls. Each doll has a hollow body where a secret message is stored. In a similar way to Chinese fortune cookies, the messages are open ended, encouraging the reader to consider the content.

The Village people

11. Nigel Eagle

Manchester School of Art Three Dimensional DesignMaterials: glass

Nigel uses clay as a way to express enjoyment and humour. He is a strong believer in doing what you love, saying, “If you don’t love your work how will anyone else?”

Nigel’s range of decorative jars and bottles are based on his respect for the post-modernist movement and his interest in simple shapes and fun colourways. ‘Village People’ currently consists of 37 vessels which form the start of the collection. Nigel describes these vessels as “A family of fun and playful lidded jars” which have been slip cast with fine porcelain and decorated with pinks and greys. Exploring colour has been an important design process for Nigel.

“Great detail has gone into creating the perfect shades of pink to challenge the stigma around the use of pink in design as often being gendered. The project is designed to be humorous and not too serious with a subtle homage to Memphis design. The use of quirky angles and oversized lids and handles work together to create a playful range of simple form and shapes.” - Nigel Eagle.

His work starts with a 2D process of creating designs based on simple shapes and colours before tackling mould making and slip casting to create each form. Each specimen is modified slightly so that every piece is one-of-a-kind. Marrying this with the unique arrangement of glazes on each form gives personality to every member of the little family of ‘Village People.’

Nigel’s interest in bottle design, apothecary bottles, elixirs, potions and gin bottles is perhaps what has led him to create a series of bottles and jars with a fun and comedic design. His love for bottles and potions originates from being a child and creating mud pies in his friend’s garden, using his imagination to make strange and wonderful creations. This might also be where his love for clay started. “There is no way to describe the odd satisfaction of working with clay and feeling the earth between your fingers.” Nigel hopes to set up his own studio in the Midlands and continues to make and be inspired.

Breathe, Deconstruct

12. Jahday Ford

Manchester School of Art Three Dimensional DesignMaterials: glass

“I constantly challenge and question the limits of glass. Its unlimited variations are surrounded by predictability and unpredictability, which drives my curiosity to create. Metal, ceramics, wood and light are the general elements I focus in glasswork due to their strong material relations.”

-Jahday Ford

Finding common and effective synergies between each material is the primary focus within Jayday’s practice, which is inspired by deconstructive and architectural formations. Using the collective processes of digital software, water-jet cutting and blown glass, Jahday is able to apply these structural figures directly onto the surface of the glass during its semi-fluid state. Although the moulding process drastically changes the behaviour of glass, its symmetrical lining begins to reveal its evolution from a two-dimensional format. This methodology allows Jahday to express unusual forms to precise detail on every object, a process not possible by traditional hand-made techniques.

Breathe is a glassware collection which was made using the process of recording, digital rendering and wood moulding. After recording the sound of himself blowing into an‘iron, it provided a platform for the wave pattern to be transferred into a visual stimulus. This sound wave was then manipulated into a three dimensional form using basic tools and software in Solidworks. Once the mould was made it was prepped with water, hot molten glass is spun and blown inside the mould at a slow to fast rate. Since the outer membrane of glass is molten it effectively lines the surface with each detail and cools the inner area therefore capturing a fascinating natural process.

Untitled

3. Amy Gotheridge

Sheffield Hallam UniversityJewellery and MetalworkMaterials: steel, silver, jesmonite, mother of pearl, crushed pearls, leather

The rural and urban surroundings of Sheffield have influenced Amy’s collection. Taking inspiration from brutalist architecture in the city, Amy has used materials like jesmonite and steel to imitate the concrete structures found there. To challenge preconceptions of beauty and scale Amy has used these industrial materials alongside organic materials such as leather and mother of pearl.

Buildings are constructed and demolished, the internal framework is hidden and revealed and fragilities are exposed and examined. Amy’s pieces aim to encourage people to question the things they see every day and normally look straight past. Placing these on the body allows us to reflect on our own place within our environment.

Image: Untitled, Amy Gotheridge

Image: Balance, Anna Manfield

Image: Blue Frame Brooch, Eileen Pottle

Image: The Village People, Nigel Eagle

Image: Breathe & Deconstruct, Jahday Ford

Pic n Mix

5. Eileen Catriona Pottle

University of DundeeJewellery and Metal DesignMaterials: powder coated metal

For many of us, travel brightens our lives. For Eileen the colourful buildings in many European cities resonate with her. Her collection is inspired by the local architecture of the Cote D’Azur.

“Walking around Nice and Monte Carlo, I absolutely fell in love with the building style. I am especially drawn to the combination of the linear patterns created by the window shutters and the pastel colour scheme.”

Eileen’s designs focus on simple architectural forms combined with the more detailed elements of cast figures, which hint at an unknown story.

This collection includes a buildable element in the form of a modular jewellery kit; for a playful experience in which the wearer can enjoy experimenting with different combinations of components to create an individual expression of their personality through the piece.

Outgrowing

6. Elizabeth Natul Nenge

University Of The Arts LondonDesignMaterials: terracotta

Elizabeth’s degree show project introduces greener spaces in urban areas as a small-scale approach to air purification, the creation of a tranquil environment and establishing a microclimate through plant life. The freestanding, puzzle-inspired ‘green wall’ consists of stacked plant pots. They have been tailor made and designed for the Avon Gorge Hotel, which overlooks the iconic Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol. The hotel is currently undergoing renovation works.

Elizabeth emphasises the link to the Clifton Suspension Bridge by focusing on the structural form and materiality, which are key motifs of the iconic structure. The green wall is designed for balconies and terrace installations in a variety of applications, from private mansions to homes to local terrace bars. A key feature in the green wall design is the interlocking joints. They hold and attach each separate piece of the freestanding wall and additionally function as a water flowering system for the plants. Elizabeth’s making methods consist of hand building slabs, extrusions and raw application of glazes alongside digital robotic fabrication printing for decoration, all influenced by her love for Architectural Ceramics.

Digital Icons

8. Isla ChristieGlasgow School of Art Silversmithing and Jewellery Materials: silver, waterproof paper, acrylic

Isla Christie is a jeweller who makes use of digital tools to explore the infinite possibilities of geometrical forms, and is captivated by the myriad ways in which these forms can be constructed, deconstructed and reimagined. Isla constantly transitions between working in a 2D and 3D space to shift her perspective and consider alternate possibilities of shape and form.

Working in silver and paper, Isla has developed a method of ‘slicing’ digital 3D models into delicate items of jewellery made from layers of cut paper. Her most recent collection of earrings features kinetic forms, which encourage playful interaction from the wearer. In this collection, she has produced an array of interchangeable elements, including front and back sections of earrings that can be rearranged in endless combinations.

Urban Environments & Brutalist Brooch

9. Jack Griffin

Brighton UniversityThree Dimensional Design and CraftMaterials: jesmonite

Jack Griffin is a London based Multi-disciplinary designer whose ethos is to design so that we can discover and enjoy life. Jack works to achieve sustainable and responsible outcomes as well as great designs that work on many different creative levels.

This project is a critical reflection of ‘the everyday’ in urban environments. Our awareness of space and place diminishes over time - fading into a normative backdrop of mundane familiarity. Urban environments are, however, designed. They embody cultural, political, societal and economic values. This project focuses on the architectural ideologies of modernism and Brutalism that defined the housing estates of post-war Britain. To achieve this, Jack has conducted two practice-based investigations: Building blocks capturing the archetypal characteristics of London’s post-war estates, a series of three-dimensional works making explicit the defining shapes, colours and forms of these spaces; and ‘Brutalist brooches’ – a series of wearable pieces linking people and place.

These outcomes seek to critically evaluate the design components of ‘everyday’ environments. The forms are ornaments, relics, and cultural remnants of forgotten ideologies. They act as vehicles to reconnect us to the ‘invisible’ design intentions that define the environments we may struggle to see.

Oh! What a Catch!

10. Lois Jane Wiseman

Birmingham School of JewelleryJewellery Design and Related ProductsMaterials: steel, enamel, graphite, rope, silver

Lois Jane Wiseman is a Scottish jewellery and object designer. Having grown up in the North East of Scotland, Lois draws inspiration from the scenic coasts and quaint harbours for which the area is famous. Her aim is to create fun, colourful jewellery and decorative objects in non-precious and precious metals.

Lois’ main interest lies within the contemporary enamel field. She uses a combination of wet process and powder enamels on steel. Her love for blending traditional techniques such as enamel and modern processes like laser welding, allow her to merge vibrant steel components and wire. This creates interesting three-dimensional forms initially inspired by lobster creels piled up at harbours. Over time the edges of the steel will begin to rust, echoing the patina that naturally occurs when objects are exposed to a marine environment.

Lois’ exciting and playful approach to design aims to produce work that generates a smile and sense of calm.

Simple Extravagance

7. Ellie Taylor

University for the Creative Arts RochesterSilversmithing, Goldsmithing and JewelleryMaterials: sterling silver, stainless steel wire

Inspired by architecture and structure, this project demonstrates how lavish, historic architecture can be reduced down to simple lines, whilst staying true to their decorative origins.

To start her research, Ellie visited many public buildings including cathedrals, churches and museums that held the styles of architecture that she is most interested in. At the forefront of her inspiration were the Baroque, Regency and English Gothic periods of architectural design.

She collected many images from these places and started extracting the most interesting outlines and features to use in her design work. These drawings then morphed into wire test pieces - crucial to finalising her design. Through hand-forming each component of her final pieces, they reflected the hand-drawn quality of her earlier tests and drawings.

Image: Outgrowing, Elizabeth Natul Nenge

Image: Simple Extravagance, Ellie Taylor

Image:Digital Icons, Isla Christie

Image: Oh! What a Catch!, Lois Jane Wiseman