Tag Archives: Adam Paxon

The Jewellery & Object team were privileged to receive Jerwood prize winner Adam Paxon as guest lecturer this term. Adam’s distinctive jewellery is usually only found in prestigious galleries in the UK, across the world or in private collections, but on this occasion students were invited to handle and try on his pieces as he gave a lively, informal talk about his practice.

Adam’s expertise in handling plastics often fools the eye into believing that his jewellery might be made of glass. Strange, jellyfish-like creatures with moving parts danced across the tabletops as students cautiously inspected their vivid colours and ingenious construction. Important pieces, recognisable from seminal contemporary jewellery publications and extravagant private collections were laid out for all to see. Students concentrated on understanding the methods used to achieve such extraordinary results and questioned him on his inspiration. Living deep in the Lake District, Adam explained how working at the bench all day, every day, is a challenge most jewellers are faced with, something he addresses by going for walks to stimulate the creative process. He advised students to be constantly observant of the shapes and colours around them and to remain curious about how things are made.

Students were also invited to talk about their own work with Adam in a group seminar where he raised thoughtful questions about each project in turn and encouraged others to share their opinion. “It’s very important’ he said “ that you are able to talk openly about your work.”

It is always an honour to welcome guest jewellers onto the programme and the team appreciate how time consuming this is for self-employed practitioners. Adam’s visit leaves another indelible mark in the record of visitors and the team thank him for generously sharing his knowledge with us.