Q&A with Rebecca Burt
Location: Cardiff
Discipline: Jewellery
Biography:
Rebecca originally studied Textiles in Practice at Manchester School of Art. Upon graduating in 2014 she enrolled into a jewellery and silversmithing course back in Cardiff, this kickstarted her passion for working in metal. In 2016 Rebecca got a place at Bishopsland Educational Trust. Whilst at Bishopsland she won a number of awards including, Jacobs the Jewellers Young Designer – Winner of Best Jewellery Design and Bishopsland Annual Arts Society Design Award – 2nd place.
Since launching her business in 2017, Rebecca has been exhibiting at a number of craft fairs where she has been awarded two awards from Craft Festival. Best New Business 2021 – Made by Hand Online at Craft Festival Cheltenham 2021 and The Byre Gallery Showcase Award – The Byre Gallery at Craft Festival Bovey Tracey 2023.
Please describe your creative process/practice:
I am a jewellery designer/maker based out of my studio in Cardiff, where I create textural organic jewellery from silver, gold and gemstones. My degree in textile design is still very much a big influence on my approach to jewellery making. I am fascinated by textures and building up patterns in the metal, letting the process guide me. The finished pieces are organic and have a directional quality that captures movement and a sense of flow. This is accentuated by contrasting combinations of silver, gold and oxidised silver to create beautiful juxtapositions, combined with carefully curated unique gemstones.
Your influences and motivations:
I am influenced by texture, line and flow. I have always been drawn to movement and organic growth which is reflected in both of my collections. A key inspiration is water, and I feature this by building up my growing forms and textures, using multiple little grains and textured marks to convey the movement, power and flow of water.
For my Eden collection, I use little individually bench made silver grains to build and flow across the piece, with the process of soldering them together reflecting the inspiration. When choosing the shape of the design, they often move a bit during the soldering process, flowing and forming themselves into the shape they want to be.
In the Flux collection, this inspiration is interpreted through mark making and creating gradients though silver, gold, gold plate and oxidised silver. The metal is marked and hand engraved into with different colour finishes applied, it is then brushed back to reveal the flow of the texture.
Does your work have a particular colour palate, or link to a particular styling?
Colour palates are an important element of my jewellery, with a strong emphasis on mixing metals, both with a subtle and bold point of view. From contrasting silver with 18ct gold to creating subtle gradients from 9ct to 18ct yellow gold. My stone choices are also very important to this and are carefully chosen and curated for their patterns, forms and colours.
See Rebecca’s work at MADE London from 3 November.
Rebecca Burt, Tourmaline Stacking Rings, Silver 18 ct Gold 9 ct, Gold Green Tourmaline. £735
Rebecca Burt, Slate Flux Ring, Slate with Pyrite Silver, 9 ct Gold, £450
