Statement

“When people think of the beach they think of romantic walks and beautiful scenery. However, the reality is that the ocean and its seaside are suffering from pollution and destruction. As a designer and maker, I have always been deeply concerned about the environmental impacts that we, as humans have on the planet and by working with found objects from the beach I could see first-hand how we affect the environment at a local level. To me it is important that as well as collecting and using found objects to help the environment, my process in the workshop should produce as little waste as possible. In order to ensure this, re-using metals and other materials as well as taking extra time to measure what I need helps towards reducing any unnecessary material waste.  I like to use found objects which are usually treated as waste as well as found objects which are not traditionally seen as desirable. With these found objects I combine them with other materials to make desirable, wearable and non-wearable jewellery. I want to show that in addition to reducing waste, we can find and use more existing materials which would otherwise be overlooked. The purpose of my work is to combine these contrasting views and transform them into contemporary jewellery. My goal is to show the romantic beauty of the seaside whilst also showing the harsh reality of its current state. “