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.
Monography
A pivotal point in my jewellery education happened when I was in my second year at George Brown in the Jewellery Arts program. I had no previous experience with jewellery before I joined the program and really struggled to find a personal style that not only resonated with me, but was something I had fun creating. In our second year we were required to take a class entirely focused on the design process with no fabrication. Going back to these basics really helped me explore and experiment with compositions I had never thought would be something I would personally create. This led me to design jewellery that always starts with an engaging composition that I can then translate to physical materials.
How did you find your way to contemporary jewellery?
My focus is less so on the body and physical form of the wearer but on the fabric that body is wearing. My previous experience studying fashion at TMU inspired me to create jewellery pieces that use colour and textures as if the piece is a little styled outfit on its own.
What role does the body play in your work?
What material are you currently obsessed with and why?
My current obsession is anodized aluminum. It’s such a difficult process to do nowadays but I have pieces from the 80s and 90s that have such amazing colours. The dyes used are likely not on the market anymore and the heat texturing done to the aluminum almost makes the ripples look like a satin fabric rather than a metal.
I work at a constant state of chaos. With the amount of acrylic I’m grinding and sanding, having a neat and tidy work space is a losing battle. I like to think I’m incredibly efficient in creating a piece, and once I have a design down on paper, I can’t rest until it’s made physical. I love working around other artists and friends, being able to chat, complain, cry to one another is something essential to my process. When I don’t have friends nearby to chat the day away with, I’ll have an audiobook at 1.25 speed going on in my ear. Particularly horror or urbanism books.
Your studio: total silence or inspired chaos?
Laura Papworth, Prairie Fields Brooch, stainless steel, anodized aluminum, acrylic, surfite, 2025, image by the artist
Laura Papworth, Structures at Play Earrings, gold plated brass, stainless steel, acrylic, wood, image by the artist
Can you tell us about a technical challenge that you have overcome and how you were able to resolve it?
Graduating from George Brown meant I know longer had access to the amazing tools and facilities the program has to offer. The most crushing blow for me was losing the laser cutter. I was lucky enough to be granted the full-time residency at Harbourfront Centre as of 2025. Although it is an amazing space, there is no laser cutter unfortunately. I had bought all this supplies for my new brooch series so I had to figure out a way I could still carve out acrylic precisely. I figured out a way to use my bench press with my foredom handpiece to use as a sort of milling machine. It ended up working very well and much faster than the laser cutter. Now I have a particular fondness for being able to do this step entirely by hand.
My goal for this year is to venture into other forms of jewellery other than just brooches. I want to make earrings and necklaces using my style and techniques. I also want to launch a website for myself that shows who exactly I am as an artist. I am working to create enough pieces to eventually have a solo exhibition eventually. I am very lucky this Summer and Fall to be featured in the LA Pai 22nd Annual Jewellery Student competition as well as the Harbourfront “Meet Your Maker” exhibition coming up in September.
What is coming up next for you?
Published: 2025/8/28
