Our 2026 terms* are carefully designed to inspire and support your learning every step of the way.

Find essential details below regarding our term dates, including our breaks.

*Our terms are seven weeks long, except for our unique four-week Winter School Term in Term Four (late July through August.

Our daytime Beginners and Beyond class runs in a rolling four-week format.

Term 1: January 27 – March 9

Term 2: March 23- May 11

Term Two Mid-term School Holidays Break: Week of April 6 – take a break to align with NSW school holidays during our Break Week.

Term 3: May 18 – June 29

Winter Break: July 6 – July 13 – Reflect and recalibrate during our three-week Winter Break.

Term 4 : July 27 – August 17

Term Four is our unique four-week Winter School Term.

Join us for an inspiring month presenting varied specialist skills, maximising your learning experience in a condensed format.

Term 5: September 7 – October 26

Term Five Mid-term School Holidays Break: Week of October 5 – take a break to align with NSW school holidays during our Break Week.

Term 6: November 2 – December 14

Following is a list of our Term Class options:

Monday daytime: Beginners & Beyond (four-week term format – no experience necessary )

Monday evening: Continuing Jewellery Making (seven-week term format – Intermediate class)

Tuesday evening: Beginners Jewellery Making (seven-week term format – no experience necessary )

Thursday daytime: Jewellery Making Atelier (seven-week term format – Intermediate Plus class)

At Square Peg Studios, each term is a chapter in your creative story.

Secure your spot now – we would love to welcome you to our studio!

The post 2026 term Class Dates appeared first on SquarePeg Studios.

Our 2026 terms* are carefully designed to inspire and support your learning every step of the way.

Find essential details below regarding our term dates, including our breaks.

*Our terms are seven weeks long, except for our unique four-week Winter School Term in Term Four (late July through August.

Our daytime Beginners and Beyond class runs in a rolling four-week format.

Term 1: January 27 – March 10

Term 2: March 24 – May 12

Term Two Mid-term School Holidays Break: Week of April 21 – take a break to align with NSW school holidays during our Break Week.

Term 3: May 19 – June 30

Winter Break: July 7 – July 21 – Reflect and recalibrate during our three-week Winter Break.

Term 4 : July 28 – August 18

Term Four is our unique four-week Winter School Term.

Join us for an inspiring month presenting varied specialist skills, maximising your learning experience in a condensed format.

Term 5: August 25 – October 13

Term Five Mid-term School Holidays Break: Week of October 6 – take a break to align with NSW school holidays during our Break Week.

Term 6: October 27 – December 8

Following is a list of our Term Class options:

Monday daytime: Beginners & Beyond (four-week term format – no experience necessary )

Monday evening: Continuing Jewellery Making (seven-week term format – Intermediate class)

Tuesday evening: Beginners Jewellery Making (seven-week term format – no experience necessary )

Thursday daytime: Jewellery Making Atelier (seven-week term format – Intermediate Plus class)

At Square Peg Studios, each term is a chapter in your creative story.

Secure your spot now – we would love to welcome you to our studio!

The post 2025 term Class Dates appeared first on SquarePeg Studios.

Brooch Club

The first run of Brooch Club, our new social group, has already had a couple of great meet-ups. Just over a fortnight ago, we welcomed author Daniela Malev from Germany for an online lecture on the history of brooches with close to 100 people joining in! It was such an inspiring session.

This Brooch Club series is feeding into a group exhibition, Material Matters, for Sydney Craft Week. The exhibition opens on 10 October at Windowsmiths Gallery, with a closing night Pin Swap celebration on 18 October. Both events are up on Eventbrite, pop the dates in your diary!

Graduate Resident Updates

We recently farewelled Iris Yu, our most recent Graduate Resident it was such a joy to have her in the studio these past three months. Next week, we’re excited to welcome Sophie Dohnt as our Spring Graduate Resident.

Applications are already rolling in for the 2026 Graduate Residency program. If you’re a recent jewellery graduate, or know someone who is, please spread the word. It’s a special initiative we’re so proud to run.

Eventbrite

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We’re proud to share that SquarePeg Studios is well represented at JMGA NSW PROFILE 2025

Profile is a major bi-annual exhibition celebrating contemporary jewellery and object practice in Australia. It is for members of the Jewellers and Metalsmiths Group of Australia’s NSW branch.

Hosted by the Australian Design Centre in partnership with Jewellers and Metalsmiths Group of Australia (NSW), PROFILE is a biennial showcase that brings together some of the most exciting makers from around the country. We’re delighted to see so many of our resident artists featured.

Eight SquarePeg Artists Featured as Finalists

This year, eight SquarePeg Studio residents have work included in the exhibition:

• Zoë Pollitt
  
• Linda Blair
  
• Fiona Meller
  
• Emiy Copp
  
• Yinuo Yu
  
• Som Luong
  
• Pierre Cavalan
  
• Sebastian Dayrit
  

These makers bring a wide range of styles, materials, and approaches to the field – from poetic conceptual pieces to beautifully resolved technical works. Seeing their creativity recognised on this stage is a proud moment for all of us at the studio.

🗣️ Artist Talk Spotlight

Our very own Emily Copp and Yinuo Yu were honoured to speak at the JMGA NSW Profile 2025 Panel Talk on the topic of Contemporary Jewellery Expressing Identity and Values alongside overall Established Contemporary Jewellery award winner Felix Gill and Highly Commended Radka Passianova. They shared insights into their creative process, the evolution of their practice, and how personal identity and values are expressed in the creation of their works. It was a special opportunity to reflect on what it means to make work in conversation with peers and with place.

📍 Visit PROFILE 2025

The exhibition runs at the Australian Design Centre, Sydney, until 17 May 2025.

It’s free to visit, and we highly recommend making time to experience the show in person. The exhibition website also allows you to explore the full catalogue and featured artists online.

⚒️ A Celebration of Creative Practice

PROFILE is more than an exhibition – it’s a celebration of the ways contemporary jewellery can express identity, provoke thought, and bring beauty into the everyday. We’re so grateful to see SquarePeg artists celebrated alongside an inspiring national cohort.

Congratulations, one and all! Be sure to take yourself along to see the show before it wraps up – you won’t regret it! 

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SquarePeg Studios Jewellery School in the vibrant suburb of Marrickville, Sydney, offers a popular destination for jewellery enthusiasts and creatives.

Whether you’re a complete beginner, an experienced maker, or simply curious about crafting your own jewellery pieces, SquarePeg Studios provides a welcoming environment and diverse learning opportunities to nurture your creativity.

In this blog, we’ll explore the pathways available at SquarePeg Studios, from introductory workshops to advanced courses, artist residencies, and more.

A Welcoming Community of Creatives
SquarePeg Studios is more than just a jewellery school – it’s a thriving creative hub where like-minded individuals gather to share ideas, inspiration, and skills. Students of all backgrounds benefit from a supportive and inclusive environment, forming lasting connections with both peers and instructors. This sense of community is at the heart of SquarePeg’s mission to nurture creativity and craftsmanship.

Start Your Journey: Introductory Workshops
If you’re new to jewellery making, SquarePeg Studios offers accessible starting points through workshops like the popular Make a Ring in a Day Workshop. In just one session, you’ll learn the basics of jewellery-making tools and techniques while crafting your own silver ring. Perfect for beginners, this workshop is an inspiring and fun introduction to the basics of jewellery design.

Building the Foundation: Beginner Courses
Our Beginners Jewellery Making Courses cover fundamental techniques such as sawing, filing, soldering, and polishing for those ready to delve deeper. These comprehensive courses provide hands-on guidance, empowering students to create beautiful, unique pieces while laying the groundwork for more advanced skills.

Our Beginner classes are presented at varied times to suit every schedule:

>> Evening Classes over seven weeks

>> Weekday classes over four weeks

>> General Weekend classes

>> Easter, June or October Long Weekend Classes

>> Summer School in January

Whatever your diary looks like, we have got you covered!

Explore Additional Techniques: Wax Carving and Casting
Across two classes, enrol in our Carve a Silver Ring course. In this course, students explore the art of sculpting their designs in wax in class one. In week two, your designs are cast into metal, introducing you to the creative and technical process of jewellery making.

Learn all about Sand Casting, in our popular UnEarthed and ScatteRING workshops, presented once a year by Kirra-Lea Caynes, who joins us from Tasmania.

These inspiring classes are ideal for complete beginners and those looking to build upon their existing skills.

Nurture Your Craft: Intermediate Plus Courses
SquarePeg Studios offers intermediate and mixed-level courses tailored to skill development. Classes such as the Continuing Jewellery Making Course and Jewellery Making Atelier

These classes introduce advanced techniques, including stone setting and an ongoing and expanding suite of skills from term to term. These programs encourage experimentation while providing guidance from expert tutors, helping students refine their craftsmanship.

Delve Deeper: Specialist Workshops
SquarePeg Studios also caters to jewellers who are eager to focus on specific techniques through specialist workshops. From Gypsy Setting to Wax Carving for Jewels, these workshops provide concentrated learning opportunities to master advanced methods.

Don’t just hibernate in Winter: Join Winter School in August!

Embrace the colder months with a burst of creativity at SquarePeg Studios’ Winter School. Designed for jewellery enthusiasts of all skill levels across four weeks of classes, our immersive short courses and workshops are perfect for beginners exploring new hobbies or experienced makers refining their craft. Winter School offers something for everyone, from learning foundational techniques to mastering intricate skills like stone setting or wax carving.

Artist Residencies and Mentorship
For those seeking a creative home for their existing practice, SquarePeg Studios offers Artist Residencies and Studios for Rent. Participants receive access to their own studio space and our shared, well-resourced workshop and will benefit from being part of our welcoming co-working space. Our residency program encourages the development of a personal creative voice and supports participants in pushing the boundaries of their artistic practice.

Why Choose SquarePeg Studios?

• Experienced Instructors: Learn from skilled jewellers and industry professionals passionate about teaching.
• Flexible Learning Options: There’s something for every schedule, from single-day workshops to multi-week courses.
• Community Connections: Be part of a thriving creative community.
• Comprehensive Facilities: Access an excellent variety of tools and equipment in our plentifully equipped studio.

SquarePeg Studios Jewellery School is a fantastic destination for anyone passionate about jewellery making. From beginners discovering their creative spark to experienced artists nurturing the flame of their practice, our studio offers tailored learning pathways for all levels and interests. Join us in craftsmanship, creativity, and community at our Marrickville studio in Sydney.

Explore our website, learn about our course offerings, and begin your jewellery-making adventure today.

Got questions? We are here to help! We love a good chat, don’t hesitate to reach out via our contact form with any queries.

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We’re thrilled to welcome Michelle Hales of Two Plums Designs all the way from sunny Brisbane to SquarePeg Studios this November for a series of exclusive, hands-on workshops!

Join us for one—or all—of Michelle’s inspiring one-day workshops, running from Friday, November 1st to Sunday, November 3rd. Each workshop offers a unique opportunity to explore exciting materials and techniques designed to elevate your jewellery-making practice.

Here’s what’s on offer:

✨ Introduction to Jewellery Making with Gold Fill – Friday 1st November
Learn More & Enrol

✨ Introduction to Jewellery Making with Argentium – Saturday 2nd November
Learn More & Enrol

✨ Handcrafted Chain-Making Workshop – Sunday 3rd November
Learn More & Enrol

Whether you’re looking to explore new materials or master intricate chain-making techniques, these workshops offer the perfect opportunity to learn from one of the best.

Spots are limited—secure yours today and join us for an inspiring long weekend of creativity at SquarePeg Studios!

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From 10am to 3pm, we’ll open our doors and invite you to shop locally this Christmas—direct from our benches to you!

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We will host a creative afternoon of activities on Saturday, October 19th, as part of Sydney Craft Week.

From 1pm to 5pm ~ Open Studio event. Visitors can tour the space and purchase unique works directly from SquarePeg’s Resident Jeweller Artists.

From 6pm to 8pm ~ Contemporary Jewellery Film Night. The evening will feature wine, cheese, and a curated selection of short films showcasing extraordinary contemporary jewellery makers and projects from around the globe.

Learn more about the day’s activities via this recent interview with the Australian Design Centre.

The post Open Studio & Contemporary Jewellery Film Night – 19th October 2024 appeared first on SquarePeg Studios.

Guest Tutor: Michelle Hales We’re excited to welcome Michelle Hales from Two Plums Design, Brisbane. On June 14th, join her workshop on Introduction to Jewellery Making with Gold Fill. Michelle will share her expertise in using gold-filled materials, a durable and affordable alternative to solid gold.

Upcoming Workshops

• June 14th – Introduction to Jewellery Making with Gold Fill: Learn from Michelle Hales. Last places!
• June 22nd start – Wax Carving and Stone Setting: Enhance your jewellery-making skills. Edit – now sold out!
• June 30th – Make a Ring in a Day: a perennial favourite for good reason!
• July 18th & 20th – Sand Casting with Sapphires: With Kirra-Lea Caynes.
• July – 19th & 21st – Scatter Ring Sand Casting: For beginners.

This August, we present our annual Winter School, designed to get you out of hibernation and into the studio with unbeatable prices for exciting classes!

Monday Evenings (6.30pm to 9.30pm) ~ Carve a Silver Ring – wax carving for lost wax casting – beginner course

Tuesday Evenings (6.30pm to 9.30pm) ~ Beginners & Beyond – jewellery fabrication in Sterling Silver- beginner course

Wednesday Daytime (10am to 2.30pm) ~ Jewellery Studio – Daytime Beginners & Beyond – jewellery fabrication in Sterling Silver – foundation course

Wednesday Evenings (6.30pm to 9.30pm) ~ Kiln Fired Liquid Enamel – kiln-fired colour – beginner to intermediate course 

Thursday Daytime (10am to 4pm) ~ Metal Magic: Crafting a Hollow Form Ring – improve your soldering and metal working skills whilst creating a beautiful, sculptural hand-formed ring – intermediate course

Embrace new perspectives and find inspiration with us at SquarePeg Studios – we would love to welcome you to learn with us in our studio!

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Our 2024 terms* are carefully crafted to inspire and elevate your artistic pursuits. Find essential details below regarding our term dates, including our breaks, for a well-rounded experience.

*our terms are seven weeks long except our unique four-week Winter School Term in Term Four.

Term 1: January 29 – March 11

Term 2: March 25 – May 13

Term Two Mid-term School Holidays Break: April 22 – take a break to align with NSW school holidays during our Break Week.

Term 3: May 20 – July 1

Winter Break: July 10 – July 24 Reflect and recalibrate during our three-week Winter Break.

Term 4 : July 29 – August 19

Term Four is our unique four-week Winter School Term. Embark on an intensive month of learning specialist skills, maximizing your learning experience in a condensed format.

Term 5: August 26 – October 14

Term Five Mid-term School Holidays Break: October 7 – take a break to align with NSW school holidays during our Break Week.

Term 6: October 28 – December 9

At Square Peg Studios, each term is a chapter in your creative story.

Join us in 2024 for a journey of artistic discovery and innovation. Secure your spot now and explore the endless possibilities at Square Peg Studios!

The post 2024 term dates appeared first on SquarePeg Studios.

Are you ready to embark on a journey into the world of jewellery making? Square Peg Studios presents a diverse range of jewellery-making classes designed to inspire creativity and hone your skills in the art of jewellery craftsmanship. From beginners to intermediate levels, there’s a class for everyone.

Take a look at what is coming up in our classroom in the coming months:

Beginners Jewellery Course – Summer School Duration: 5/6/7 or 12/13/14 January

Kickstart your jewellery-making journey with our intensive 3-day Jewellery Summer School. Whether you’re a novice or looking to refresh your skills, this course covers all the fundamentals of jewellery design and fabrication. Craft a silver ring and another unique piece while enjoying a fun and immersive learning experience.

Learn More

Teens and Tweens – Make a Ring in a Day Date: 20th January

Calling all young enthusiasts! Join our Teens and Tweens workshop for a day of creativity and learning. Using specialist jeweller tools, participants will cut silver, texture metal, and learn how to create their own rings from start to finish. This one-day workshop is the perfect introduction to working with precious metals, blending creativity with maths and science. Plus – we are a Creative Kids registered provider! Redeem your CK voucher for this workshop.

Learn More

Make a Ring in a Day Workshop Date: 21st January

Discover the joy of jewellery making in this one-day workshop, suitable for solo participants, friends, or special occasions. Experiment with copper before crafting your sterling silver band. Perfect for those wanting to make a ring for themselves or as a thoughtful gift, this workshop offers a fun introduction to the art of jewellery creation.

Learn More

Wax Carving for Jewels | Stone Setting Workshop Start Date: 27th January

Delve into the intricate art of wax carving for stone settings. This four-day intensive course is an extension of our Carve a Silver Ring – Wax Workshop, guiding you through the process of making waxes to create a bezel-set ring. Perfect for those with some wax carving experience, this workshop provides valuable skills and techniques for your jewellery-making journey.

Learn More

Wax Carving and Casting Workshop Date: 17th February

Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of lost wax casting. This two-day workshop allows students to experiment with various wax working techniques, model a wax ring, and complete the metal casting of their project. Perfect for those with intermediate-level skills or complete beginners, this workshop offers a hands-on approach to understanding the intricacies of lost wax casting.

Learn More

Gypsy Setting Workshop Dates: 23rd and 24th March

Take your skills to the next level with our Gypsy Setting Workshop. Ideal for those with intermediate-level skills, this two-day workshop explores the art of setting small gemstones flush within jewellery designs. Participants learn how to measure accurately and practise Gypsy setting on a copper sample before setting multiple stones into the included sterling silver ring. A take-home kit is provided for continued practice.

Learn More

2024 Term One Classes (7-weeks) Dates: commences the first week of February

Tuesday Night is Beginners & Beyond Jewellery Making

Monday night is Intermediate & Continuing

Thursday daytime is Jewellery Making Atelier

Secure Your Spot Today! Don’t miss these upcoming opportunities to learn, create, and unleash your creativity. Secure your spot in Square Peg Studios’ early 2024 jewellery-making classes and embark on a journey of artistic expression and skill development. Join us for a fulfilling and enriching experience in the heart of jewellery craftsmanship!

As always, don’t hesitate to reach out if we can assist you in finding the perfect class to join at SquarePeg – we would love to welcome you to our studio!

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Peter Keep is a Master Jeweller & Former TAFE teacher. He is highly regarded in the industry having served on the JAA board (Jewellers Association of Australia) & for his involvement in training Worldskills competitors. His unique teaching methods have helped qualify a new generation of goldsmiths and jewellery designers.

Peter will join us in March from Friday the 17th to Monday the 20th and he will present a two-day workshop followed by two presentations of one-day workshops.

What it will look like:

Friday the 17th & 18th – Claw Setting with Peter Keep

Over two days, learn beautiful and versatile claw-setting techniques to incorporate faceted gemstones into your work.

Perfect for intermediate students to add to their skill set and learn how to best display facet-cut gemstones in their jewellery designs, claw setting contains the foundation skills for all other stone-setting techniques. 

Sunday the 19th – Advanced setting with Peter Keep – split claw setting

Split claw setting, sometimes called thread setting is typically used for stone set wedding rings and engagement rings.

The result is a stone set row of small faceted stones held by four claws on each stone.

Sunday the 19th – Advanced setting with Peter Keep – star setting

Star Setting is a decorative form of grain setting that was used by jewellers of old to make small stones appear larger.  This type of setting will advance your setting skills for working with smaller stones.  The same principles can then be applied to other shapes and will prepare you well for pave setting in the future.

Students may choose to take advantage of all the classes and spend four days in a row with Peter, or else choose the individual course to suit them.

These workshops are bound to sell out – grab your place and learn with Peter at SquarePeg Studios in 2023 – an unmissable learning experience.

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SquarePeg presents our popular summer school twice this January. Start your year right with us and learn new creative skills as you master the foundation skills of jewellery making in our comprehensive three-day course.

The first Summer School is led by tutor Danielle Lo from the 2nd to the 4th. And the second presentation of Summer School is taught by Emily Copp from the 5th to the 7th.

We look forward to welcoming you to our light-filled classroom!

Places are filling fast – grab yours today – see you in the new year at SquarePeg.

Enrol now via our website

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Connect and stay up to date with us on Instagram

Join our Facebook event here

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To achieve an artistic response to the climate emergency, we need to bring slow looking into action.

Our focus is on walking and looking. Each of the three Windowsmiths artists are walking. Fiona Meller collects and transforms the detritus gathered from the contemporary streetscape. Helen Wyatt passes through history, encountering the imposition of form and structure that defines her local landscape and moulds it to human demands. Marcia Swaby travels through heritage – rediscovering multiple identities through place.

Quiet reflections and considered encounters hold the secrets to a sustainable future.

Windowsmiths will have concurrent window exhibitions in Bayswater Road, Potts Point and at 60 Evans Street, Rozelle.

Details: Friday 7 October – Sunday 16 October, window gallery on display 24/7; Craft Up Late: Tuesday 11 October, 5 – 8pm

instagram.com/windowsmiths

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SquarePeg Studios current Resident Artists Fiona Meller, Linda Blair and Pierre Cavalan all had works included in the exhibition, as did many talented makers from our broader community. In particular, congratulations to recent SquarePeg Graduate Residents Alejandra Florez and Daniela Walder for the inclusion of their gorgeous works created during their recent Graduate Residencies with us at SquarePeg.

Read on to find out all about the exhibition courtesy of the Australian Design Centre.

9 August – 28 September 2022 
In partnership with the Jewellery and Metalsmiths Group of Australia – NSW Inc., Australian Design Centre presents Profile: Contemporary Jewellery and Object Award.

A diverse group of 73 national and international contemporary jewellers and object designers have been shortlisted for exhibition. Their work considers concepts from the personal to topical, crafted across a wide material range from precious gold to plastic waste.

Established Designers
Helen Aitken-Kuhnen | Ruth Allen | Danielle Barrie | Dianne Beevers | Annaig Bidan | Linda Blair | Ximena Briceno | Pierre Cavalan | Zara Collins | Janine Combes | Diane Connal | Pam de Groot | Jan Donaldson | Kim Ebbeck | Jennifer Fahey | Sam Farmer | Gretal Ferguson | Emma Field | Anthony Green | Kirsten Haydon | Clare Hooper | Jin Ah Jo | Regina Krawets | Mio Kuhnen | Johannes Kuhnen | Catherine Large | Phill Mason | Gabrielle McGrath | Fiona Meller | Shan Shan Mok | Lucy Morton | Yukiko Nonaka | Larah Nott | Sean O’Connell | Radka Passianova | Erin Pearce | Nellie Peoples | Felicity Peters |Virginia Sprague | Marika Strohschnieder | Naoko Takase | Bic Tieu | Sarra Tzijan | Romana Toson | Megan Turton | Emily Valentine | Zoe Veness | Ann Welton | Alice Whish | Helen Wyatt | Melinda Young | Marissa Ziesing  

Early Career Designers
Rick Benjamin | Breisy Alejandra Castaneda Florez | Elizabeth Curry | Polly Dymond | Kate Hagan | Jenny Johnstone | Kirsten Junor | Nicola Knackstredt | Megan Morrall | Hannaneh Qiumarsi | Amy Skinner | Carly Slape | Alexianna Stephenson | Jacki Stone | Inga Svendsen | Daniela Walder | James Walker | Shirui Xiao | Jiahui Zhang | Dong Zheng | Elisa Zorraquin

Award Winners:
JMGA-NSW Established Contemporary Jewellery Award – $3,000
Jin Ah Jo, Pipe Way series, 2021

JMGA-NSW Early Career Contemporary Jewellery Award – $1,500
Inga Svendsen, Prickly Heart Breastplate, 2021

The Helge Larsen Award – $2,000
Gretal Ferguson, Nailed Down, 2021

Hazelhurst Arts Centre Award – $1,500
Yukiko Nonaka, Hikari Key Case, 2020

Australian Design Centre Award – Object Space exhibition in 2023
Kirsten Haydon, Ice Shadows, 2021

Highly Commended
Melinda Young, Stories untold – Neckpiece Diptych, 2021
Bic Tieu, In between #1, 2022

The awards were judged by Darani Lewers AM, Dr Oliver Smith, Lisa Cahill (Australian Design Centre), Carrie Kibbler and Naomi Stewart (Hazelhurst Art Centre) with Merilyn Bailey for JMGA-NSW in attendance.

Profile was first presented at Australian Design Centre in 2019. Visit the Profile 2019 exhibition page here.

Events:

Contemporary Jewellery Conversations
This conversation hosted by contemporary jeweller and academic, Dr Zoe Veness, contemplates key themes that emerge across the Profile exhibition with a panel of Profile artists including Kate Hagan, Erin Pearce and Melinda Young. Following the panel, meet the makers as we walk through the exhibition for a floor talk discussing their works. Joining the panellists for the floor talk will be – Jenny Johnstone, Fiona Meller and Shan Shan Mok.
When: Saturday 13 August, 1.30 – 3.30pm
Where: Australian Design Centre
Free event, bookings required, RSVP here

Profile: Contemporary Jewellery and Object Award – Exhibition Tour
Join a guided tour of Profile: Contemporary Jewellery and Object Award, Thursdays at 2pm through August and September. This 30-minute tour will take you through the key themes, makers and their works, with the opportunity to meet a maker working at the Profile Jewellers Bench.
When: Thursdays at 2pm – 18 & 25 August 1, 8 & 15 September
Free event, bookings required, RSVP here

Profile Jewellers Bench
Meet local jewellers and object makers working at the jewellers’ bench on Thursdays through the exhibition – an opportunity for visitors to chat with them about their processes and craft.
When: Thursdays – 18 & 25 August 1, 8 & 15 September, 11am-1pm & 2-4pm
Where: Australian Design Centre

Saturday Craft Club
Our occasional Saturday Craft Club is a new initiative created, especially for kids from 8 to 12 years old. At this workshop you will learn how to create a wearable piece of jewellery using craft materials, recycled, and found objects taking inspiration from the exhibition Profile: Contemporary Jewellery and Object Award.
When: Saturday 10 September, 11:30am – 1:00pm
Where: Australian Design Centre
Free event, bookings required, RSVP here

Exhibition dates:
Australian Design Centre. 9 August 2022 – 28 September 2022 
Hazelhurst Arts Centre, NSW. 26 November 2022 – 29 January 2023

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SquarePeg Resident artist and tutor Linda Blair has been busy for many months creating her “Flock” – a collection of enamelled avian beauties. Each work introduces us to another character inspired by the diverse feathered friends we encounter in our urban environment.

Visit The Flock at Bridget Kennedy Project Space, 53 Ridge St North Sydney this Sydney Craft Week

The show runs from the 6th to 29th of October.

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Reflections on Water (As Below, So Above) is a collection of objects and contemporary jewellery incorporating traditional jewellery-making approaches alongside the newer technology of hydraulic pressing. The collection of works is inspired by an exploration of environmental issues surrounding the extensive development of coal seam gas mining in Australia and its impact on water resources and communities. The mechanics of pressure have been used in the creation of these works as a commentary on the often-disastrous effects of fracking for the natural environment.

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SquarePeg’s jewellery artists welcome you to learn more about their practices at Meet the Makers, a relaxed afternoon of wine, cheese and conversation. Visit their co-workspaces, workshop and school. Chat with the makers and discover their contemporary jewellery works (available for purchase). The jewellers of SquarePeg engage in a diverse array of jewellery practices and truly offer an opportunity to sustainably ‘shop local’ – direct from their benches to you.

Sydney Craft Week – Celebrating its sixth birthday, in 2022 the Sydney Craft Week Festival runs from 7 to 16 October 2022.

Sydney Craft Week is about celebrating creativity and the handmade in all its forms. This festival creates the opportunity for the whole community to engage with craft, experience the benefits of making, and purchase local handmade work.

Sydney Craft Week is the only festival in Sydney dedicated to making by hand. Led by the Australian Design Centre (ADC) and supported by an advisory group of craft sector professionals, Sydney Craft Week brings together contemporary crafts organisations and individuals in a celebration of craft across the city as part of a ten-day festival each year in October. The festival fosters community participation and creativity, with the opportunity for the public to meet artists, buy and learn about craft and get involved in making.

Each year, Sydney Craft Week puts out a Call for Entries for galleries, shops, cultural organisations and institutions, and individual makers to host events, ranging from large-scale exhibitions to one-off workshops encompassing the breadth and power of craft. 

The festival takes place over 10 days every October. Sydney Craft Week invites all residents and visitors to experience Sydney’s vibrant craft scene. Most events are free to enter, with ticketed events managed by host organisations and venues.

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Crafting Connections kids and adults workshop: Presented by well-known local jeweller Melanie Ihnen, youths and their adults are invited to come together for Crafting Connections, a fun workshop where participants create with various metals and recycled materials. Get your hands on some tools, create something to be worn, attached to bags, and use your imagination! Make memories together whilst exploring the value of the handmade.
Suited to children from 10 years accompanied by an over 16-year-old.

Material Happiness one-day workshop: Presented by award-winning sculptor & jeweller Margarita Sampson. A gentle workshop remembering how to collectively play. Artists of any discipline can blow away the cobwebs and explore some fresh and fun perspectives on making using recycled materials. There will be chocolate! There will be no judgement! Forget about the goalposts and have a kick-around in the park with some mates.
Suited to participants over 16 years.

Details: Crafting Connections Workshops Saturday 8 October and Sunday 9 October, 9am – 3pm;
Material Happiness Workshops Saturday 15 October and Sunday 16 October, 9am – 3pm

Sydney Craft Week – Celebrating its sixth birthday, in 2022 the Sydney Craft Week Festival runs from 7 to 16 October 2022.

Sydney Craft Week is about celebrating creativity and the handmade in all its forms. This festival creates the opportunity for the whole community to engage with craft, experience the benefits of making, and purchase local handmade work.

Sydney Craft Week is the only festival in Sydney dedicated to making by hand. Led by the Australian Design Centre (ADC) and supported by an advisory group of craft sector professionals, Sydney Craft Week brings together contemporary crafts organisations and individuals in a celebration of craft across the city as part of a ten-day festival each year in October. The festival fosters community participation and creativity, with the opportunity for the public to meet artists, buy and learn about craft and get involved in making.

Each year, Sydney Craft Week puts out a Call for Entries for galleries, shops, cultural organisations and institutions, and individual makers to host events, ranging from large-scale exhibitions to one-off workshops encompassing the breadth and power of craft. 

The festival takes place over 10 days every October. Sydney Craft Week invites all residents and visitors to experience Sydney’s vibrant craft scene. Most events are free to enter, with ticketed events managed by host organisations and venues.

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SquarePeg’s jewellery artists welcome you to learn more about their practices at Meet the Makers, a relaxed afternoon of wine, cheese and conversation. Visit their co-workspaces, workshop and school. Chat with the makers and discover their contemporary jewellery works (available for purchase). The jewellers of SquarePeg engage in a diverse array of jewellery practices and truly offer an opportunity to sustainably ‘shop local’ – direct from their benches to you.

Sydney Craft Week – Celebrating its sixth birthday, in 2022 the Sydney Craft Week Festival runs from 7 to 16 October 2022.

Sydney Craft Week is about celebrating creativity and the handmade in all its forms. This festival creates the opportunity for the whole community to engage with craft, experience the benefits of making, and purchase local handmade work.

Sydney Craft Week is the only festival in Sydney dedicated to making by hand. Led by the Australian Design Centre (ADC) and supported by an advisory group of craft sector professionals, Sydney Craft Week brings together contemporary crafts organisations and individuals in a celebration of craft across the city as part of a ten-day festival each year in October. The festival fosters community participation and creativity, with the opportunity for the public to meet artists, buy and learn about craft and get involved in making.

Each year, Sydney Craft Week puts out a Call for Entries for galleries, shops, cultural organisations and institutions, and individual makers to host events, ranging from large-scale exhibitions to one-off workshops encompassing the breadth and power of craft. 

The festival takes place over 10 days every October. Sydney Craft Week invites all residents and visitors to experience Sydney’s vibrant craft scene. Most events are free to enter, with ticketed events managed by host organisations and venues.

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Discover where art is made in the Inner West and explore hidden artists’ studios, independent galleries and artist run initiatives.

Meet your local artists and makers and take a glimpse into their workspaces, challenge yourself creatively with a workshop or be inspired by a guided tour of local studios.

Spanning two days 13 and 14 August from 10am to 5pm, the artists of SquarePeg Studios will join our many creative neighbours in welcoming the community into our spaces – we hope you can visit us then!

Free stamping workshops

Find out more about the weekend’s activities via Inner West Council’s website

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SquarePeg was founded in 2011 and grew out of a desire to create a supportive co-working space for jewellers in Sydney. I had been thinking about setting up a place that brought together contemporary makers and was more than simply bench space and access to tools and equipment. I was influenced by a residency I had in 2006 at the JamFactory in Adelaide, and particularly by the Gray St workshop, which had been running for more than 30 years.

At the end of 2010 my partner, Sally Clarke, and I made a trip to New York and visited galleries and art space, many of which were located in fabulous old loft-style buildings, accessible by rickety old lifts.  

So when on my return to Sydney, I got a call from an old friend to see if I might be interested in subletting studio space in an old warehouse in Newtown I went over immediately. Unfortunately, the space she had was too small for what I had in mind, but the building was fabulous. My friend then remembered another tenant was shortly moving out of a space on another floor and so we went down to meet George, who was in the rag trade. I was blown away by the space, 250 square metres with a double-height concrete ceiling and a bank of windows. An empty space that would be perfect for a jewellery studio, and large enough for jewellery classes as well. I was hooked and made up my mind on the spot to take the lease.

So that is how SquarePeg came about. The first step was to have a painting party one Sunday, and a wonderful group of friends worked really hard to get it looking a lot cleaner and whiter. Next, I organised a carpenter to make some jewellery benches and a soldering area. Soon other people heard what was happening and offered to help, including  Sebastian Teracher who brought along Majella Beck who proved to be essential in setting up the technical side, and who became the first and longest-serving teacher at SquarePeg. A jewellery colleague and friend, Erin Keys was also on board and was instrumental in setting up the first iteration of the website. Many members of the Sydney jewellery community really embraced the idea of a new contemporary jewellery space, and people came along to check it out and amongst the first to take studio space included Erin, Sian Edwards, Linda Blair and Fiona Meller, and both Linda and Fiona continue to have studio spaces 10 years later.

Unfortunately, after nearly 3 years the owners of the wonderful and affordable Alice St warehouse finally got approval for the building to be demolished and apartments to be built. So the search began for new premises, so along with all the other tenants, everyone was trying to find a new space. I really didn’t want SquarePeg to come to an end after only 3 years so was determined to find a new space. After a fruitless few months, I saw a listing for a floor of a warehouse in Marrickville. I’d actually called the agents a couple of months before but I’d been told that ‘it wasn’t nice enough to be a jewellery studio’. This time however I insisted on seeing it and he was right, it was an absolute dump, however, it was a dump with a lot of potentials. It had been used to store barrels of beer imported from Eastern Europe and was filthy with exposed toilets and boarded up windows.  Taking another leap of faith I once again signed a lease and SquarePeg moved to Junction St Marrickville, which was a huge undertaking, but fortunately, most of the tenants came too and helped turn the dump into a more habitable studio, and over the years lots of improvements have been made. It was such a large space that it was possible to section off a new contemporary gallery, so Sally Clarke and I set up AirSpace Projects next door to SquarePeg, and this expanded in 2014 into the basement and became a thriving Artist Run Initiative.

At the end of 2017, I sold the business to two of the resident jewellers, Kim Elliott and Emily Copp. Kim had been a tenant since 2012 and Emily had come as a recent graduate to the Graduate Residency Program 2015. Both were very committed to the continuation of SquarePeg as a place for all things jewellery, and the idea continues to grow from year to year, and I’m delighted to see how they’ve taken over SquarePeg and run with it to make it their own.

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There will be differing descriptions of what contemporary jewellery is, reliant upon who you ask that question.

One thing is certain – the history of body adornment is as old as humankind itself, with tools, small sculptures and beads being amongst our oldest artifacts as as species.

The 100,000 year old Skhul Cave beads discovered in Haifa, Israel in 2006 are made from sea snail shells which archaeologists note, would have had to have been collected from the coastline three and a half kilometres away. 

The Skhul Cave beads are considered evidence of complex social systems – the beads may have been used as markers of personal or social identity, for gift giving, trade or perhaps even as amulets.

The making of adornments for the body by our ancient ancestors are an early expression of modern behaviour. The creation of wearable art has developed with us over the ages and has always had a close relationship to the tools and materials available to the artisans who made them, intertwined with the cultures and times in which they were created.

Marian Vanhaeren of the University College in London says a “long-lasting and widespread bead-working tradition existed throughout Africa and the Middle East long before anatomically modern humans arrived in Europe”… “When you put a personal ornament on your body, you are sending a message to other people, it is a silent language, but very powerful”.

That silent, yet nuanced language in body adornment remains present today and Contemporary Jewellery is no exception.

The making of jewellery has a rich and varied history, and this most recent development – Contemporary Jewellery – has its origins in the end of the second world war in Europe. Many jewellers of the time advocated an active role for themselves in the design and creation of their works drawing upon their own artistic vision. This was in part driven by scarcity of materials after the war, but equally it was motivated by the cultural climate of the time.

Hermann Jünger / Detail of a brooch-1970-72 Gold, emeralds, chrysoprase, sapphires, opals, lapis lazuli, and enamel.

Hermann Junger an accomplished German Goldsmith led the way as a master jeweller who turned away from the rigid constraints of precision in fabrication which defines traditional practice, and rather approached the use of precious materials in new ways within his pieces.  His artistic ability was nourished under the guidance of his mentor Franz Rickert at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich who encouraged his students to break with traditional perceptions of jewellers and their craft.

Junger went on to become the Chair of Gold and Silversmith Art at the Academy of Fine Arts from 1972 to 1990.

He passed this position to another renowned and influential Contemporary Jeweller Otto Kunzli from 1991 to 2014.

The Academy of Fine Arts in Munich and the mentorship provided within its walls alongside many other fine institutions around the world, have become the fertile grounds in which the field of Contemporary Jewellery has blossomed.

Margaret West ~ Scratch 1997 stone, paint, silver (925) 42x49x17mm

An enduring theme of the last half century in Contemporary Jewellers works are designs which are driven by intellectual and artistic concepts realised with an on-going questioning of traditional processes, married with an embracing of new technologies and materials.

Contemporary Jewellery works are as varied as the artists who create them, and the field is a dynamic and vibrant one which keeps evolving.

To feast your eyes on Australian contemporary works be sure to visit the exhibition Made/Worn ~ Australian Contemporary Jewellery touring Australia in 2021 and 2022 presented by the Australian Design Centre with the support of the Australia Council for the Arts’ Contemporary Touring Initiative.

And, to learn more about the many, many talented and skilled Contemporary Jewellers out there take a look at sites such as:

klimt02

Art Jewlery Forum

Current Obsession

Main image: Ring for Zwei (two) by Otto Kunzli

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This week we mark 10 years since SquarePeg Studio’s inception. Around this time last year, at a time when it felt like the world had turned on its head, we started thinking about how we would mark the occasion. We knew we would have a  celebration and as the year progressed we made the decision to give our website a makeover and have our branding refreshed with the ultimate goal to launch a store* to showcase the works of our talented resident artists.

One of the special things about celebrating milestones is that as occupied as you are, it causes you to pause and reflect on exactly what it is that you are celebrating. Working on the website “refresh”, (lol, it’s a rebuild and we couldn’t be happier about that**), has meant we have also been spending a lot of time reading old posts and looking at images from our past.

A post I read was one Emily wrote in March 2020, entitled Kindness Pandemic, and among other things she wrote, “During these challenging times, our mental health is going to be important to monitor alongside our physical health, and many of our students are already expressing to us a desire to continue their learning with us. We have our thinking caps firmly in place and we are hatching ideas as to how we can make that happen.”

Time proved her right, some people were concerned about how the isolation and changes to their usual routines would affect them and were looking for ways to stay connected. We did what many small businesses did responding as best we could and exploring ways to stay in touch with our community.  During the total lockdown, we went online for a virtual Atelier, allowing the participants to check in with each other from the comfort of their own studios with the company and guidance of Melanie Ihnen, who had been due to start her first term teaching our flagship course just as lockdown started. Around this time we were fortunate to be the recipients of a Cultural Resilience grant from the Inner West Council, enabling us to create the online store which will be launching soon.

Once it looked like we might be able to have small groups in the studio again we re-jigged the classroom to allow for physical distancing and created individual tool boards for each student among all the things we have gotten to know so well, QR codes, sanitiser, the list goes on.

And when we could welcome students back into the classroom, we noticed a renewed energy and interest as people had had the space to reflect on how they would meaningfully occupy themselves in this new world. Many students have told us that they had always wanted to try something creative and this had sparked them to action. It has been wonderful to see the positive impact being able to come to a safe and welcoming place has had on our community of resident artists and students alike.

One of the overriding sensations one gets from being part of a creative community like ours is to have the opportunity to explore your own creativity and abilities, while surrounded by a diverse, yet like-minded group of people, a pandemic doesn’t change that.

Emily also wrote, “We send our thoughts back out into our creative community and across our country and our world. We all have challenges to face during these unprecedented times. We take solace in the firm belief that we all have an opportunity to shine bright with any kindnesses and generosity we can share in these truly unusual days.”

So reflecting on the past and the wonderful legacy Brenda Factor passed onto us and looking at where we are now, able to come together to celebrate, we do feel truly grateful for the kindness, understanding and generosity of our resident artists, tutors, students and wider community over the past year, it meant we were able to survive and maybe even thrive despite the difficulties. It really did mean the world to us, so thank you.

With warm regards,

Kim  – Director SquarePeg Studios 

*  We thank Creative and Cultural Resilience Grant - Inner West Council
** Shout out to Steve West Developer and Kayleen Flanigan - Lightbulb Design, you did a great job!

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Join us on Saturday 10th April from 4 pm to join our community in reflecting on and celebrating all the things that make SquarePeg such a special place to be.

Launched by Brenda Factor in April 2011 SquarePeg has been a home and hub for a wide range of contemporary jewellers at all stages of their jewellery making career for ten years. With vibrant artist studios and a busy jewellery school, we are an important part of Sydney’s creative arts scene.

Lets party!

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SquarePeg Studios opens its doors with an Open Studio, Exhibition and Market.

Visit SquarePeg Studios – we are a vibrant coworking jewellery workshop, studios and school. SquarePeg is home to thirteen Resident Jewellery Artists and one Graduate Artist in Residence. Our school presents multiple classes weekly taught by our talented team of tutors.

Come along and meet our skilled community of makers as we present a range of activities in 2020. Participate in jewellery making workshops, visit our Open Studio and Market alongside our Contemporary Jewellery exhibition in response to this year’s theme of ‘Change Makers’.

Aligned with our exhibition we present an interactive ‘treasure hunt’. Tokens hidden in our local neighbourhood link back to themes explored by the participating artists and symbolise our role as the custodians of change through the works we create and concepts we explore in that process. Once found, tokens can be exchanged for a corresponding piece from our exhibition. To find out more visit our social media platforms.

Details: Open Studio / Exhibition: Saturday 10th October, 10am – 4pm

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Meghan Kelly concluded her Bachelor of Design (Honours) at UNSW Art & Design with Majors in Jewellery Design and Graphics Media at the end of 2018.

She officially graduated in May 2019 with Class 1 Honours and was awarded the Dean’s Honours List for Semester 2, 2018.

We have been thrilled to have Meghan join us as early 2020 Graduate Resident and we are excited to see her new range developing in her signature floral aesthetic.

At the conclusion of Megan’s Honours year in 2018 she was selected as one of twelve students to exhibit Honours Graduate work at the Australian Design Centre in the ‘Designing Bright Futures’ exhibition.
After an internship, Megan went on to moonlight as the Studio Co-ordinator at the wonderful Studio Elke and the Big Fashion Sale from 2018 through to early 2020.

Meghan now works full time as a Graphic Designer alongside her work developing her first jewellery range.

One thing is certain, Meghan’s Jewellery Practice and her Design Career is going from strength to strength. We are so pleased to welcome Meg to spend a Graduate Residency with us 😊

Be sure to pop over to @meghankelly_design on instagram to follow Meghan’s gorgeous work.

To see some of Meghan’s work and to hear about her practice please scroll through – thank you Meg for your time answering our questions! 😊 💖

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Visit Amy’s website at:

https://getambry.com/

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Our Resident Artists will have their beautiful works available for purchase and we will, of course, welcome visitors to tour our studios, workshop and classroom.

Shop Local – Shop Quality at SqaurePeg Studios this Summer.

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Our Resident Artists will have their beautiful works available for purchase and we will, of course, welcome visitors to tour our studios, workshop and classroom.

Shop Local – Shop Quality at SqaurePeg Studios this Summer.

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SquarePeg Studios opens its doors with an Open Studio, Artist Talk and Exhibition. Come and explore behind the scenes of our creative space. Tour our workshops, classroom and studio spaces. Meet our resident jewellery artists who create wonderfully diverse works in a range of styles and materials and take the opportunity to buy handmade jewellery directly from them. Find out about our 20+ courses and workshops and be inspired to get making too.

SquarePeg will present the collaborative show and artist talk, ‘Text to Contexture — Story-telling Through Jewellery’ by long-time resident artist Fiona Meller and recent graduate resident Marcia Swaby. These two jewellery artists from different cultures recognise the similarities in how they have discovered their ancestral histories through objects left as clues. Their talk discusses their findings.

Details: Open Studio / Exhibition: Saturday 12 October, 10am – 5pm; Artist talk: Saturday 12 October, 3 – 5pm

SquarePeg is also participating in the Australian Design Centre Makers Market on Saturday 19 October.

Australian Design Centre (ADC) presents their curated Makers Market, featuring jewellery, ceramics, textiles, fashion and homewares made by local makers. Under an outdoor marquee in Palmer Street, get amongst the Sydney Craft Week buzz by directly meeting and supporting over 25 makers and watching crafty demonstrations by Studio A weavers and JMGA-NSW jewellers.

While you’re here, you can also visit ADC’s current exhibitions, The Gadigal Mural and Object Shop, get some delicious treats from the Coffee & Crepes Co and browse ADC’s second hand craft book stall.

Makers include: Bakehouse Studio, Cardigan Threads by Jeff McCann, Emilio Frank Design, Girl Nomad Ceramics, Herbert and Friends, JMGA-NSW, Katherine Mahoney, Love and West, Margot Design, Outer Island, Philly Cowdrey Designs, Scoops Design, Sky Carter Colour, SquarePeg Studios, Studio A, svikis., The DEA Store, The Niki Tree, TRADE the MARK, Workshop 85 and more!

Details: Saturday 19 October, 10am – 4pm

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We are always thrilled to be a part of this event and consistently blown away by just how many creative spaces we share our neck of the woods with. We have 15 studios taking part in the trail within a kilometre radius of our studio! Hopefully, you can come along and say hi, check out all the fabulous works which will be for sale by our Resident Artists and have a look around our workshop. And, with so many beautiful creative spaces being open nearby you can take advantage of the trail to explore the creativity of Marrickville in a single outing 😃

💕 ‘Meet the Maker’ while supporting local 💕

Beautiful works will be available on the day by:

Linda Blair
Teya Lehne
Fiona Meller
Elizabeth Mitchell
Lucy Morton
Cristiona O’Conbhuidhe
Kim Elliott
Emily Copp

Join our Facebook event here and find out about all the studios taking part in the studio trail here – see you the first weekend of August!

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Xmas Market & Party

Join us for our open studio, jewellery market and student showcase event

And also help Emily and Kim celebrate their first year at the helm of SquarePeg!

SATURDAY 15.12.18

3PM ~ 7.30PM

10 JUNCTION STREET

MARRICKVILLE

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Do you, or do you know someone that has wanted to start their jewellery making with us at SquarePeg Studios but can’t get to classes during the week? Are our seven-week terms too long to commit too?
We have designed the perfect solution.

Modelled on our super popular Summer School for Beginners, this four-day intensive jewellery making course will fast-track your learning.
Over four Sundays from 11am to 5pm you can immerse yourself in making and learning with the wonderful Sian Edwards.
An experienced and accomplished contemporary jeweller, Sian will guide you through the foundation skills of metalsmithing. Learn sawing, annealing, soldering and more. You will be creating your own silver jewellery in no time.

But don’t take our word alone, read some feedback from our recent Summer School.

“Amazing learning experience, great facilities and very hands on. The teacher explained concepts clearly and helped participants design and construct pieces that were meaningful to each of us. This course exceeded my expectations and I feel was excellent value for money. This course has been the highlight of my holidays. I only wished I lived closer so I could go every week.” Tessa Mc Namara – Happy Student 🙂

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SquarePeg:  Who or what first inspired you to create jewellery and why do you choose to work with non-traditional materials like glass?

Maija Frankovich: I find this question hard to answer because there are a lot of different factors. My father would take me to his friend’s house who was an art dealer, and he would have these huge metal sculptures I really loved by English sculptor, Kevin Norton. I was always impressed by the way the sheets of metal were joined together and the expressive movement of his work. I’m mostly inspired by larger scale art works like Bauhaus artist, Marianne Brandt’s tea pots than other jewellers and jewellery. My use of non-traditional materials came from a project I did at COFA where we had to choose a contemporary jeweller and make a work based on their style. I chose Blanche Tilden. Tilden works combine glass and metal and I like the way it references modern architecture in her work. Sometimes I think metal looks a bit boring by itself too.

SP: What propels you forward within your discipline?

MF: For me it’s really important to see people wearing my work which is why I like to do my Zuku line. It’s less gallery work and more everyday wearable pieces. I don’t think there’s much point having a piece get dusty in the gallery when people could be out there wearing it on their bodies.

SP: You work in a collaborative jewellery studio space, SquarePeg Studios. What is a day in the studio like for you and does working in a shared, creative environment influence your work?

MF: For me the best part about working at SquarePeg Studios is having people around me that are in similar points of their career to share resources, push each other to approach galleries and stockists. We push each other further in our practice because we support each other in that way.

 SP: What does making look like for you? Do you have any rituals or habits that help your creative process?

MF: When I’m designing I like to play around with making shapes and mocking up designs. I never really draw – I hate drawing. I draw with wire and take photos of shapes I like.

SP: You have stated your creative process is sparked by an interesting observation or analysis of human behaviour. Tell us what role this plays within the development of your pieces.

MF: It basically functions as a kind of guide I can come back to. I like to imagine a personality to the piece. I imagine it as a person. That is more relevant to my gallery exhibition pieces.

SP: You have just finished a graduate residency program at SquarePeg. Has that experience changed your practice?

MF: It’s been really beneficial for my practice. It has allowed me to break out of the kind of conceptual thinking promoted at TAFE and University. I’m freed from working conceptually and can focus more on the commercial side, functionality and wearability.

SP: You recently had a stall at the Adorned market where you are selling your new line Zuku. How is the Zuku line different from your exhibition works?

MF: It has more of an emphasis on fashion and lets me collaborate with photographers and stylists I know and make it more of a fashion line.

SP: What advice do you have for students entering the field of jewellery?

MF: Be open about what jewellery can be. Don’t be restricted by the traditional definition of jewellery and make what you want to make not what the teacher wants you to make.

https://www.maijafrankovich.com/

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SquarePeg Studios: You studied at the prestigious contemporary jewellery school Alchimia in Florence. What bearing does that experience have on your current practice and how does working in a collaborative studio space like SquarePeg compare?

Albert Tse: It has a large bearing on my practice, mainly because that’s where I learnt how to make jewellery and about design. My first series started at Alchimia, the Wanderer series. Because I knew little about jewellery prior to this (I did not think I would be a jeweller growing up) but I enjoyed it after doing a short course and then randomly ended up in Italy. so everything I know about jewellery I know from studying at Alchimia. They taught me both the old school traditional techniques and contemporary design, so a lot of their aesthetic comes through in my work.

Alchimia was a school environment, but here at SquarePeg we are all working towards similar goals of becoming professional/ commercial jewellers. Professionally we push each other to find stockists, we push and encourage each other to create websites and to promote our work. We also share experiences of industry skills and techniques. I think working in this environment has galvanized areas of my practice, for instance I participated in the Atelier course on offer here at SquarePeg in which I had an idea to design my second collection, the Eon series, through going back to basics in wax carving and then sandcasting the pieces.

SP: What does a typical day in the studio entail for you?

AT: Coffee. I like to start the day on Young Jewellers Group on Facebook to see what’s going on in the jewellery world. I have also been putting more pieces together for stockists. It’s always about trial and error, making prototypes, experimenting with new techniques, polishing and figuring out the best ways of finishing works. A good hour or so is spent on social media, creating content and posting. This year I am working on getting a plan together to make sure I get everything done.

SP: You are interested in men’s jewellery. How did this interest emerge and what role it plays within the development of your pieces.

AT: I noticed over the years that it was difficult for my friends to find something that they wanted to wear and just settled for the best of the worst. Men’s jewellery designs do not seem to have evolved much since the ‘90s. There hasn’t been much innovation or variation. Plus the fact that I don’t know much about women’s jewellery, made the choice easier.

As for how this is developed in my pieces, I think I just do what I like and ask my friends for feedback. I would describe my aesthetic as a bit of a mix of simple, yet organic and rough. I’m very into making one off pieces that I achieve through the sand casting technique because this method produces a unique and individual piece each time.

SP: What would you like to see in the field of men’s jewellery and the wider field of art jewellery in the future?

AT: With mens jewellery I think it would be great if men wore more jewellery. The market for men’s products in Sydney is growing and there’s not much out there so being one of a few local makers is exciting. I want to learn more about how I can make my pieces appeal to more men.

For the wider jewellery field I’m very much about supporting what is made locally and introducing more people to art jewellery.

SP: What advice do you have for students entering the field of jewellery?

AT: Go to class, learn what you can, redo your technical pieces and create as much as possible. You only get out how much you put in, you need to put in the hard work and keep making. Hand skills are where it’s at and the design will follow, unless of course you want to be a designer.

SP: What is next for you?

AT: Next for me is focusing on expanding my brand, building up brand recognition and making my work available to more people. More specifically I would like to do a collaborating with another artist in the mens field, network with more people in mens industries, produce an art piece for the Radiant Pavilion exhibition in Melbourne, look at international opportunities and work towards the Paris Jewellery Fair.

http://www.alberttsemetalsmith.com/

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It’s really like having  a holiday here in Sydney – enjoying learning skills and make stuff all in our funky warehouse in Marrickville.

What do students learn?

Students learn the following techniques: how to cut metal, how to texture and stamp metal, riveting, how to form and solder metal. In fact all the fundamentals of jewellery design.

The tutor, Emily Copp is an contemporary jeweller and is one of our resident tutors. Emily will work with students to develop their designs before taking the class through all the techniques needed to create their own hand made jewellery.

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Read more about the Beginners Jewellery Course here.

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Date: Monday 13th July 6pm

Location: AirSpace Projects (10 Junction St Marrickville)

Book a spot here.

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These exhibitions are timed to coincide with the Jewellers and Metalsmiths (JMGA) Conference, EdgesBordersGaps which will be held from 10-12 July with an opening night on Friday 10 July, 6pm-8pm.

The Theatre of Detail – Catherine Truman, Sue Lorraine, Jess Dare (Gallery 1)
Celebrating the 30th anniversary of Gray Street Workshop an internationally renowned artist run initiative.
An exhibition of new work by workshop partners Jess Dare, Sue Lorraine and Catherine Truman in which the artists, united by a shared fascination with the adaption of nature and the wonders of science unravel concepts of scale, time and material specificity within their creative practices. The exhibition is a collection of objects and moving and still photography presented as a series of  vignettes within the gallery space.

JMGA-NSW – Profile 2015 – curated award exhibition (Gallery 2)
This is a significant curated award exhibition of contemporary jewellery, objects and metalsmithing by members of Jewellers and Metalsmiths Group of Australia NSW (JMGA-NSW).With awards on offer for both emerging and established artists, there will be a diverse and comprehensive cross- section of work from some of our state’s most talented contemporary jewellers.

“Choice, mate”, an installation by Bridget Kennedy (Deep Space)

Deeply Untitled, Brenda Factor (the wall)

????. Lisa Furno (the Cranny)

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