The Story of Amy Stringer
Could you tell me a little about yourself?
My name is Amy Stringer and I have been practising jewellery as a contemporary craft since I started my degree in 2012.
I studied Jewellery & Metalwork at Sheffield Hallam University 2012-2015 and continued to grow my practise independently, including becoming a curator of jewellery for the Craft Centre and Design Gallery in Leeds for 6 years.
I furthered my practise and began to include sculptural ceramics into my work during my MA in Creative Practise from Leeds Arts University 2019-2021 and am now focusing on creating multifunctional objects with wearable elements.
How would you describe your artistic style, and what themes or concepts do you explore in your work?
My designs have always included an architectural undertone, with a particular interest in Brutalist architecture. Since university, cement has been a huge part of my practise and is still found in most of my jewellery pieces. The structure found in Brutalist architecture and their love hate relationship from the public, the nature that has found itself growing between the forms and the harsh materials has also sent my work into a different direction. What is Precious? What is precious to me, to you? Is it precious because of its material, its previous owner or how it came to belong to you? This theme was heavily explored during my Masters.
How do you approach the design process, and what are some of your favorite techniques or methods?
My design process is very material lead, its not often that I will sketch out a design or have a clear technical drawing - I tend to have a design idea, or an idea of what kind of object I want to make and let the material and the metalwork processes dictate exactly how that piece may turn out.
How do you see your work evolving in the future, and what new techniques or materials are you interested in exploring?
My work has swapped and change and evolved so much in the last 10 years. Along with the inevitable increase in my skill and knowledge of materials and metalworking techniques I have explored many themes and ideas. I have recently become very interested in chain making again - traditional techniques have always been at the core of my practise and I have been exploring the ancient technique of loop in loop chain. I intend to continue to explore this alongside my ceramic work, and the combination of the two. Next on my mind is to explore scale, as a jeweller even when I think I’ve made a large piece, in the grand scheme they are still relatively small! So I really want to push my practise into much larger works.
What is the most rewarding aspect of being a jewelry artist?
One of the most rewarding parts of being a jeweller is seeing your work on customers, especially when its out in public. Seeing someone in your earrings, or necklace, or brooch out in the wild. With no intention that you would have seen, thats such a great feeling.
What is your favorite piece of jewellery that you own, and why?
I am incredibly sentimental, and I think that comes across in the themes I explore within my work. I have several pieces in my personal collection that mean a lot to me, from brooches friends and colleagues have bought for me to jewellery passed down from family. But I think my favourites (I can’t just pick 1!) have to be two of my rings, that I’m wearing right now. My silver thumb ring from a wonderful Italian jeweller who owns What If? Gallery in Berlin, and my 18ct gold and blue diamond ring by Mark Veevers, which I bought as a gift to myself after my 6 years at the Craft Centre as a symbol of my achievements.
What advice would you give to someone who is just starting out in jewellery making?
Being self employed, especially a self employed artist, is really, really hard. I always say it takes a certain kind of crazy to do what we do. The ups and downs, the financial worries and the lifestyle isn’t for everyone. But, if I could give any advice, if you truly love and believe in what you do - keep going, it will work out.
