Eleanor Whitworth
British Jeweller
“MY WORK SURROUNDS OBSERVATIONS OF THE NATURAL WORLD THROUGH A SCIENTIFIC LENS, AND THE DISCOVERY OF MORE THAN INITIALLY MEETS THE EYE. I PRODUCE WEARABLE SCULPTURES, OFTEN INSPIRED BY MINIATURE CREATURES AND CURIOSITIES IN NATURE ALL AROUND US.”
At the heart of Eleanor’s inspiration is the miniature worlds of nature – she collects natural artefacts, accumulating boxes of found intriguing things. She is drawn to details, interpreting them through her own visual language; her forged Talus chains, for instance, are inspired by the articulated and multi-segmented legs of insects. These qualities of delicacy, careful construction and subtle textures echo across her work. Eleanor begins her design process by drawing from samples and images, before experimenting with found materials and building sketch models. Materiality is key to Eleanor’s approach: she often combines recycled precious metals with less conventionally precious metals like steel or copper, allowing each to enhance the other; the effect is an exploration of the visual and tactile possibilities of mixed metals. The use of unconventional materials such as industrial steel wires or copper stripped from cables exemplifies her innovative approach, and allows her to make delicate yet remarkably robust pieces. Utilising an arsenal of traditional and modern techniques – from piercing and forging, to using a laser welder – she is able to make delicate frameworks that play with negative space, creating windows that contain glimmers of contrasting precious metals, intriguing cutouts and shadows.
Photographs by @celineantal
