Zoe Kavanagh

Having achieved a first on my Fine Art degree in Gloucestershire, and having subsequently studied Illustration at Falmouth, I now find myself a jeweller, puppet maker and illustrator residing in the wilds of far west Cornwall. I work with the landscape to produce highly textured, sculptural and fascinating pieces of jewellery.

I make with two characters in mind: the decadent monk, Brother Banquo, and the elusive Queen. These two dwell in a craggy cave at the bottom of the ocean, between the living and the dead. They await me making them enough beautiful, precious jewels and trinkets to guarantee their eternal life, like the first Medieval alchemists did with their dedication to making the elixir of life.

My pieces are made in conversation with the land I live on, and the metal and gemstones that I have. I arrive at pieces that are all at once craggy and yet so beautiful… the otherworldly landscapes of these trinkets have both smooth and textured areas, appearing as pools of water against rocky outcrops, with little pops of colour with gorgeous gemstones set into them in various ways.

My pieces are made in one of two ways: directly from the dance of fire and metal in my studio, or by the ancient art of lost wax carving where I carve a piece in wax and then have it cast into metal. Every trinket I make is imbued with magic, from the design which is a very meditative process, through to the making and finishing