Precious materials are notable in their absence this year and so from fish scales and cement to military pins and silk, the work weaves stories both poetic and political. It’s clear that the inspirations and aspirations of these emerging artists occupy common spaces not defined by cultural and geographic borders. We see imagined worlds at the border of reality and fantasy. deeply felt reflections of the state of the world, personal narratives refracted through ritual, memory, the cycle of life and questions of location and belonging indelible traces we leave on one another. Yet despite these recurrent threads the resultant jewellery remains wonderfully diverse on its realisation.
This year’s winners are:
Aaron Decker (MFA) – Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, USA / Genevieve Howard (BA) – National College of Art & Design, Dublin, Ireland / Yojae Lee (MA) – Kookmin University, Seoul, South Korea / YiPing Li (BA) – CAFA, Beijing, China / Eiman Rezaei (MFA) – RISD, Providence, USA / Dana Seachuga (MA) – Hochschule Trier, Idar-Oberstein, Germany / Esna Su (BA) – Central St Martins, London, UK /
