CAMEO IS AN ONGOING SERIES FEATURING CANADIAN JEWELLERY ARTISTS. HERE, THEY SHARE THEIR LATEST THOUGHTS AND INSIGHTS, AND GIVE US A PEEK INTO THEIR PRACTICE.
photo by: Elizabeth McHugh
I had studied painting, and focused on mixed media collage. As time went on, I became increasingly frustrated with the flatness of my work. Something was missing. I looked into sculpture, but it was the scale, materials and potential of jewellery that drew me in. Somehow I learned about lost wax casting, and then I was completely hooked. It took about a decade after that before I was able to formally study Jewellery Design and Metalsmithing at NSCAD, but it was worth the wait!
How did you find your way to contemporary jewellery?
I think of the body as a work of art in itself. All of the choices we make in how we adorn our bodies lead to a unique outcome, like creating a collage. I think about the wearer of art jewellery and the message they convey. I hope my work serves as an interesting addition to the living art of their being.
What role does the body play in your work?
What material are you currently obsessed with and why?
Right now I'm trying to figure out how I want to alter and incorporate pieces of glass into my new work. Glass brings to mind a window, but also a layer of protection within a frame. I've been thinking lately about how to better bridge the gap between my two-dimensional and three-dimensional work.
When I clean my studio, it stays tidy for about 15 minutes. I don't fight it anymore. Experimenting with materials is not always a clean, linear process. Outwardly, it looks like chaos, but it makes sense to me.
Your studio: total silence or inspired chaos?
Katherine McHugh, Nature Morte, fig. 1, bronze, brass, copper, powdercoat, coloured pencil, oil-based paint, white moonstones, steel pin, 2024, photo by the artist
Katherine McHugh, Nature Morte, fig. 3, copper, brass, bronze, powdercoat, coloured pencil, oil-based paint, steel pin, 2024, photo by the artist
Can you tell us about a technical challenge that you have overcome and how you were able to resolve it?
The greatest technical challenge since the beginning of my metalsmithing journey has been soldering. It was an exercise in fear and frustration. Somewhere along the way I started to love it, though. There's still a lot of room for improvement! But it is so exciting when it all works out.
I am very grateful to be named as one of the finalists in the 22nd Annual National Jewellery Student Competition, which is opening on Thursday, August 28th at L.A. Pai Gallery in Ottawa, and running until September 17th. I am also working on a new series which will draw on my background in mixed media art by incorporating glass and paper elements.
What is coming up next for you?
Published: 2025/8/27
