Students’ hand crafted jewellery exhibits at the Urbis

Carly Townsend, Foundation Degree in Jewellery student

The unique creations of the first jewellery and applied arts graduates from The Manchester College are now on display at Manchester’s Urbis Exhibition Centre.

The display features an amazing array of hand made, one off pieces, each with its own style and inspiration. Students were given an open brief to design and create jewellery pieces that incorporated shapes, textures and colours that inspired them.

Carly Townsend, 22, from Wythenshawe created her intricate designs, inspired by the human nervous system. She has always been fascinated by microscopic images of cells and structures within the body. For her collection, Carly incorporated the use of laser technology, fine hand making skills and textiles to create stunning leather and silver pieces.

She said: 'I’ve always been interested in biology, especially body cells and the shapes they create. I looked through lots of science books and looked at some samples of diseases like hepatitis C and cancer under a microscope and I was really fascinated by the shapes and patterns I saw. I decided to integrate these patterns into my jewellery designs. It’s fantastic to see my work out there on display for everyone to see. I’ve had a lot of interest in my work.'

Jane Dzisiewski, from Didsbury, created a beautiful selection of brooches featuring gem-like resin stones. Helen Pickering, from Fallowfield made her delicate collection, ‘Hidden Treasures’ using eroded shapes and textures to give the impression of long lost jewellery that has just been discovered, perhaps from a shipwreck. She used rough unpolished stones to complement the style of the pieces in combination with oxidization and colouring of the metal.

Inspired by nature and organic forms, Stephanie Brown, from Didsbury explored the environment to unearth delicate structures that can be translated into wearable jewellery. Her collection focuses on shapes and textures of seeds and seedpods, looking at the hidden treasure within.

Also from Didsbury, Sue Barry’s love of the sea grew from childhood holidays spent in Devon and Cornwall. The inspiration for her collection was taken from fishing nets and the objects that become entangled in them.

The girls are now working together to launch their own shop specialising in hand made items created by each of them.

Course leader for jewellery and applied arts at The Manchester College, Eve Redmond said: 'The foundation degree in jewellery is a two year course at the college and gives students who are interested in specialising in jewellery the opportunity to explore a broad range of styles and 3D design products. Students are taught hand and machine techniques using a range of materials and are encouraged to carry out independent research to develop their own style and outcomes. This group has created an amazing collection. The standard of work is extremely high and it’s fantastic that they have this exclusive opportunity to display their work.'

Kelda Savage, north west creative coordinator said: 'The North West Creatives showcases at Urbis are a great platform for recently graduated jewellers to display, promote and sell their work. Moving from a college environment to start their creative journey, this opportunity is a perfect place to start.'

The students’ creations will be on display until September 1st and individual items will be on sale in the Urbis Shop.

The Manchester College offers a range of degree programmes in design and visual arts. For more information, please contact our course enquiries team on 0800 068 8585 or use our course finder.