Katy Wickremesinghe Selects
Katy Wickremesinghe Selects
Cultural advocate and communications specialist Katy Wickremesinghe is the Founder KTW London and The Wick – a global consultancy and content platform on a mission to connect the culturally curious and make individuals and businesses more art engaged and responsible.
As a growing voice across the arts sector, Katy sites on the board for multiple cultural organisations and often uses her digital platform to promote and celebrate culture in all its forms.
See her selection of Goldsmiths’ Fair makers below.
Heart Ring by Castro Smith
I’ve been an admirer of Castro Smith since I first came across him at Sarabande, the foundation established by the late designer, Lee Alexander McQueen, to support rising creative stars. His background in painting and printmaking, combined with his traditional apprenticeship with the Goldsmiths Company, has given him a strong foundation for his engravings. His distinctive reimagining of traditional signet rings with Gothic motifs juxtaposed with Japanese techniques makes for something beautifully elegant. The perfect ring for a private view.
Thistle locket by Victoria Walker
There’s something wonderfully tactile about Victoria Walker’s thistle locket, and I love the combination of the intricacy of the design with the natural elements of the piece. Made up of 16 moving petal clusters and over 200 prickles, this moveable locket is stunning. Thistles are earthy, innate and folkloric and the elegant stem reveals a silver leaf – I love the combination of gold and silver.
Triangle and Circle Brooch by Elizabeth Jane Campbell
Bright colours always catch my eye, and I particularly appreciate the balance of the warm, intense colours and the simplicity of the design in Campbell’s creation. It has such a brilliant texture, and the contrast of that sunny, orangey yellow with the warm blue enamel is a perfect choice. It’s lovely to see such a contemporary take on one of the more traditional jewellery styles.
Against Nature: Birds Foot Trefoil by Christopher Thompson Royds
I’ve had my eye on Christopher Thompson Royds for a while now, and these are undoubtedly pieces I’m coveting. When you aren’t wearing the jewellery it can be hung on a sculptural stand as an artwork. This particular work is built around a pair of stud earrings modelled after the flowerheads of Birds Foot Trefoil, which can be detached from the 18k gold sheet and wire stems. The detail is incredible, with each earring composed of 26 individually hand-cut and shaped pieces, all soldered together into one — a thoughtful meditation on the way individual pieces comprises the greater whole. Christopher first became passionate about making jewellery while at school, and attributes his interest in nature – and the depiction of it in his work – to his upbringing in the English countryside.
Vessel on Base by Juliette Bigley
This work stood out to me for its focus on form and balance — it’s beautifully meditative, and would certainly have that effect on whatever room it ends up in. Made from materials typically associated with tableware, such as silver, pewter and copper, the moveable elements echo the shapes of the different objects we use in a domestic setting, playing with our ideas of form, space, and everyday ritual.
International Introducing: Hardwell Godfrey from San Francisco, USA
Inspired by ancient textiles and ethnic patterns, San Francisco-based jewellery designer Harwell Godfrey creates striking designs that are imbued with a mystical element. Her collections always reference history in some way, whether directly through motifs or through the way she manipulates the material. These dramatic earrings, which are on sale as part of Sotheby’s ‘Brilliant and Black: A Jewelry Renaissance’ exhibition in New York, are inspired by Cleopatra, combining regal diamonds and pearls with a nod to Egypt with the pear-shaped fire opal and splashes of turquoise. There’s a beautiful sense of intention and thoughtfulness behind Godfrey’s designs — she chooses gemstones that are believed to carry healing energy, and is constantly finding ways to weave historical and cultural connections into her contemporary designs, ensuring that each piece feels like a modern heirloom.
