Ndidi Ekubia MBE (born 1973)

Ndidi Ekubia is renowned for her supreme talent for hand-raising and chasing. She uses traditional silversmithing tools and methods, raising with hammers and stakes from sheet metal to produce sculptural vessels. Her silverware combines a distinctive aesthetic with a strong sense of functionality. The intricate hammer-textured surfaces of her vessels exploit the inherent mutability she coaxes from the metal: “My aim is to give the metal vitality and fluidity”.  

Ekubia’s forms are inspired by organic shapes, plants, insects, animals or naturally formed patterns such as those found in crystals, landscapes or water: “My inspirations stem from the patterns of everyday life, from the cityscape of London through to organic natural forms. My artistic landscape has also been determined by the bold African shapes, textiles, ford and passionate family conversations of my childhood… The process of creating my rich sensual forms is a rhythmical, mesmerising scenario of tools pushing the metal to its limit. Every piece exposes an emotional response to the material, each one a unique blend of order and chaos”. As well as this diminutive yet evocative beaker, the Company Collection includes a large silver wine cooler by Ekubia with chased decoration, a commission which is often on show at Goldsmiths’ Hall as part of the Company’s contemporary buffet display. Her work was part of the recent ‘Mastery: Women in Silver’ exhibition at the Ruthin Craft Centre in Wales. 

FP