Artist statement - Sipelele Tshongweni

             

               Neck-piece

An aesthetic piece that I designed and manufactured by hand with an ancient pendant called Ankh, this is associated with a family of Christianity cross. I am not too much on Christianity, so an Ankh is the best  to symbolize my partially believing rather than a solid cross. The chain creates a linked story by the emphasis of unsoldered jump rings as a symbol of holding but with a chance of change of mind with the favorite trends. This is one of my favorite pieces I use to comfort my soul whenever I feel down.          

Artist Statement - Kayle Bowes

Experimental, sterling silver succulent casting

The focus of my jewellery pieces is drawing inspiration from nature and incorporating them into my organic contemporary jewellery designs. I have been exploring casting and enamelling to replicate forms and colours found in nature. I have always been interested in the biology of how things work in nature and I have been filtering some patterns of plant's biology into some of my work. My experiments with different techniques were the start of my journey in finding the type of jewellery I want to make in the future.

Bee Inspired Neck Piece

 

The beehive neck-piece

This is my Beehive neck piece made with sterling silver, Gilding and ceramic beads.

My inspiration is driven by how bees are an essential to everyday life, I make jewelry to answer that question in a form of a tangible object like jewelry.

I am fascinated on how bees grow up and manage to fly flower to flower collecting pollen grains that increase amount of plants like flowers that we seek for gaseous exchange as human beings. Bees are very small insects and yet they play a vital role in our lives it is amazing how we do not appreciate the difference they make on earth. I decided to look on growth stages of a bee from where they grow in a beehive to process of pollination where they take pollen from a stamen (anther and filament) of a flower for plant reproduction. My work play around shapes inspired by a beehive and headed sticks from a stamen, I use these two as elements to develop my designs in jewelry. Stamen is the part of a flower that evolved my designs from beehives inspiration, thus my designs may be mixture of both bees and flowers, I believe that my work is sweater than a beehive that is why I chose to follow my inspiration.

Artist statement

Sterling silver necklace.

I am making floral jewellery using roses as my inspiration to create contemporary jewellery. My approach to contemporary jewellery is to make jewellery that connects with my spirit. Roses or flowers connect with my spirit, they make me feel happy and enhances mood. 

With the floral jewellery that I am making, I want it to grab people's attention. Imitating the rose using metal is one of the reasons. Which can make people feel happy to see a metallic flower or rose. 

My work is inspired by the contemporary jewellery designer which is Hye Jung Sin. Her work is inspired by nature. She imitates plants from nature using metal. Sin's work uplifts my spirit and makes me feel happy.

Petal necklace

  

Sterling silver.

This necklace is inspired by scattered petal tie pin which was made for Anglo platinum competition. I imitated rose petals and made the shape of the petals using square bar wire. I was trying to play with the positive and the negative which makes the necklace looks light in terms of weight. 

Platinum Brooch

Platinum and vitreous enamel brooch

The brooch was designed for the Plat Africa 2020 competition titled Men of Platinum. The pattern was generated from one of my drawings that resembles leaf venations, or depending on the orientation of the brooch also resembles a butterfly wing. The vitreous enamel colours were inspired by my Garden Croton leaves. I learnt a new type of enamel setting from Nora Kovats work which I applied to this piece. 

Finger nails rings by Lihle

 

2thuka  Rings, sterling silver and gel nail polish (2019).

I made this fingernail rings for 2thuka project. My inspiration come from Barbie doll. I decided to make these wire rings, which are attach with different shapes of nails. When I grew up, I used to put fake nails and apply nails-polish. I decided to make this wired rings because one of my friend she is Muslim and they don’t put nail polish, I made this jewelry to accommodate people who don’t like to have long nails and permanent manicure.

Cuban link bracelet

Cuban link bracelet

I started making this bracelets, had to first found out about the customer to what he would like to wear mostly on occasional events. and I used a nick name, music tool on the personalize name for the like of music, and outgoing person. I use sterling silver and cubic zicornia royal blue to standout the shininess of silver. 

Art deco enamel pendant

 

Art deco enamel pendant

The inspiration come from Suncoast buildings to creating this peace and do beaded chain. I used sterling silver and three type of color wheel to match enamel surrounded by silver border that will enhance the main focal point for center peace and for noticing our amazing buildings we have here in Durban.

Art-Deco enameled pendant and beaded chain by Cebelihle Maoze

Art-Deco enameled pendant and beaded chain 

This piece was started before we went into lock down and was finished after we were allowed to come back to campus because we were doing our final year.

Kite silver earrings

kite silver earrings 

 This are the origami earrings that were made in silver, and there are inspired by the kite shape.

Beaded Enameled Pendant

Beaded Enameled Pendant

This type of Jewellery (pendant) was inspired by the Art Deco, and i had little bit of beads in it.   

Necklace inspired by modern architectural building

 

 Origami Folded Sterling silver Necklace 

 I made this origami Necklace which is inspired by modern architectural building. The aim was to use the folding technique and not use the solder. I had fewer challenges making this piece because I was not cautious enough and I almost ruined but fortunately, I didn't.
 

Brooch by Ntobeko

 

Sterling silver Brooch with a stainless steel pin

 I made this brooch which is inspired by Tesla Cyber truck, I had to make special tools in order to make this piece because I decided to try a new technique which was quite challenging. 

Enameled pendent beaded neckless

Enameled silver pendant on a beaded chain By Jessica Kain 

The pendant in the image above was inspired by art deco designs and the skills I have learnt this year. 

Most of this assignment was geared towards learning how to fly-press and use vitreous enamel which are necessary skills leaned in third-year.With an extensive amount of research and drawing, I settled on my triangular design that I feel represents my style as a jeweller. Accompanying the pendant is cool coloured beads that work well with my silver and enamel components. 

 

Perspex and silver Bangle

Perspex and sterling silver bangle By Jessica Kain

The first assignment of third year was a jewellery piece made without soldering. My piece was inspired by home décor and origami. Using an element shaped like a marquise, I created a pattern that would be pierced into silver and fastened to perspex.

The bangle resembled Philippa Green's work which helped me in finding a solution to the no solder challenge. Last year I learnt how to Rivet, so I used that skill to fasten the silver to perspex.

Enameled pendant

 

                                                             enameled pendant 

This is the enameled pendant that is inspired by the art deco buildings, with the beaded chain that has art deco colors. 

silver chain bracelet with a heart locket

                                             silver chain bracelet with a heart locket 

This chain is made out of silver and it has a heart locket, with my initials in it. 
 

Enamel Art Deco Pendant by Luyanda

           Enamel Art Deco Pendant

Brick stich beaded chain(light green and orange beads) and silver pendant frame with dark green enamel on copper inside

Silver Earrings by Luyanda

Silver earrings with glass beads

Forged silver earrings made without soldering