about Alys
Alys graduated from The University of Derby in 2004 with a BA in Sustainable Design and Practice. Since then she has worked as a jeweller, maker, designer and artist in a variety of roles. She completed an MA in Contemporary Craft at Nottingham Trent University in September 2016. She works part-time, from her home studio in Sherwood, Nottingham, and is lead tutor at Nottingham Jewellery School, splitting her time between the things she loves best - designing, making, teaching and creating jewellery - and her two daughters Matilda and Florence.
about the jewellery
"My work begins on paper. I draw to discover and learn, inspired by the natural and man-made world around me. Recording my observations, experiences and responses creating a bank of visual inspiration .
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These studies are continued in a 3D form in my jewellery, a continuation of the same visual language. Each piece of jewellery is a sculptural exploration of colour, texture, line, form, and pattern. I aim to embody an aesthetic of imperfect simplicity. To reduce each design element to it's simplest and most refined form whilst maintaining the spontaneity and energy of the work
I work in a range of materials - metal, wood, stone, acrylic - exploiting materials qualities to create a visual narrative. The elemental character and inherent variations in the natural materials create a tension and contrast against the cold perfection of the man made.
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I hand build pieces through layering and assemblage of individual components. Contemporary manufacturing methods such as digital print and laser cutting are used alongside traditional jewellery making techniques. An integration of modern technology and the makers hand".
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