Katherine Richmond Jewellery Artist

Katherine’s professional training took place at the University of Central England’s School of Jewellery, in Birmingham where she graduated with a First Class Honours Degree in Jewellery and Silversmithing. During her studies Katherine was awarded a Precious Metal Bursary from the Worshipful Company of Goldsmith’s, and won first prize for the George Jackson Travel Award.

Following her degree Katherine exhibited at New Designers at the Business Design Centre in Islington in 2003, and went on to take part in a number of group exhibitions across the UK, including the ‘Expect the Unexpected’ showcase at The Craft Centre and Design Gallery in Leeds, and with the Designer Jeweller’s Group at the Barbican, in London. Katherine set-up her own business in January 2005 and began producing bespoke silver and gold gifts for the sports and corporate sector, specifically limited edition pieces, player awards, and one-off commissions.

However, Katherine craved the challenge of a more conceptual approach to working and in September 2008 she returned to university to study a Masters degree in Jewellery, Silver and related products, at Birmingham City University, and in September 2009 she graduated with an MA Distinction. Katherine’s work now sits on the boundary between fine art and jewellery and lends itself well to exhibition within contemporary craft and jewellery galleries, and museums.

Katherine’s current collection is titled ‘An Obsession Organised’ and explores the fragile relationship between people and objects, and the tensions between control and disorder. She uses books to create wearable pieces that question traditional values associated to the permanence of our material surroundings, embracing the beauty of the imperfect and incomplete. Katherine employs elements of chance into her making process making each piece completely unique.

Following the Masters, Katherine now aims to focus on developing this body of work and to exhibit as widely as possible. Katherine also aims to make teaching a fundamental part of her new creative practise, and hopes to explore her ideas on a much deeper level as part of a PhD in the near future.