“I see jewellery as an extension of the human form, allowing the body to be caressed, adorned and manipulated to project the wearer’s sense of self.”
In 2005, part way through a fashion degree at Kingston School of Art, Joe Spurgeon was propelled into a professional music career when his band The Horrors found success. Mercury Music Prize nominated, with five successful studio albums, and still recording, Joe has more recently been seeking a new creative experience.
After taking a course in wax-carving at Central Saint Martins, Joe became intrigued with the process. He loved the tools, the means to experiment, the precision and the tactile nature of the materials. His introduction to lost-wax casting, a process dating back 5,000 years to the Bronze Age, led to a period of creative exploration and experimentation. The durability and character of bronze makes it one of Joe’s favourite metals to work with.
Joe seeks to emphasise the interplay between bare skin and the natural lustre of metal, whether bronze, silver or gold. This first collection of jewellery is reassuringly heavy; the solid volumes of metal have been eroded and worn down, creating raw surfaces which emphasise ridges and crevasses. The pieces evoke the natural irregularity and imperfections found in land and seascapes.