Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Upcoming Selling Events

Following an extremely successful launch night, Brand are hosting a number of selling events around Birmingham.

Catch us at:


All the delightful new collections produced by Brand can now be viewed on our website www.brand-newdesign.com.






Sunday, November 11, 2012

Secret Auction




We are pleased to invite everyone to take part in our secret auction.

To help our budding company, our friends kindly donated their own artwork, which is now a subject to secret bidding.

One may find here pieces made by our fellow students, the rising stars, as well as our tutors, established artists of international fame. Thanks to their generosity, our auction has become a unique chance to acquire a beautiful piece of contemporary jewellery at a very, very competitive price!

The artists who contributed are: Stephanie Arm, Karen Bartlett, Alice Clarke, Sally Collins, Owen Condon, Jack Cunningham, Andy Howard, Terry Hunt, Sarah Kelly (Saloukee), Alan Kirton, Theresa Nguyen, Drew Markou, Ami Pepper, Jo Pond, Zoe Robertson. From all at Brand - thank you!

And here is a selection of the items:

 
Drew Markou

 
Karen Bartlett

Owen Condon

Sally Collins - 'Squeak Squeak!'

Saloukee

Terry Hunt - Jubillee Pins
Photos provided by designers


This auction is open to everyone, please feel free to visit our school to see the pieces exhibited in the main hall and place your bids. If you are unable to come in person, but would like to take part, please contact us at info@brand-newdesign.com to register your bid.

The winners will be announced at the company's opening exhibition on 20/11/2012 at The Vaults.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Work in progress - designer profile VII: Amy Buzzard




 Intrigued? These models mark the start of Amy's work on her collection.

Amy says:
"I’ve taken my inspiration from the idea of what differentiates us physically. This could be anything from a scar, to a cut or a bruise. The idea of bruising I found visually really interesting. There are some amazing colours and textures within one."
In her new work, there are recurring themes present - the passage of time and its physical impact on things and people. The pieces are rich in detail and contrasting textures; they lure the wearer into discovering new layer after new layer, striking little twists and corners, surprising junxtapositions.

Amy is currently working on her rings: "not a literal interpretation on the bruise", but she hopes to "convey a sense of damage". 

The pieces have a kind of a dangerous forest charm to them. Their interpretation of decay - the intoxicating mixture of surfaces cold and smooth with the crumbled, scratched and broken - is spellbinding. Once caught, the viewer wants to turn the ring in his hands endlessly and never stop looking...








Photos and drawings by Amy Buzzard


Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Work in progress designer's profile VI - Alex Tsai

Alex based his collection on the knight chess piece, following his growing passion for this noble game and his reflections on one of the themes discussed by our group: 
"Nothing epitomizes war more than a game of chess, which is where my brainstorming got me by looking at the collision of worlds."
The clean lines and angles of his pieces shows Alex's love for geometry and bold shape. He possesses a rare ability to channel the ornamental and minimalistic into a new visual quality, his easily recognisible individual style. This lets him create contemporary artworks while using traditional metalsmithing skills and materials. 

Alex's new collection will have the harmony and gentle discipline of a logical thought or a precise chess movement, expressing the same sharpness and clarity. 


Photo by Alex Tsai

Friday, October 19, 2012

Work in progress designer's profile V - Jindaporn Sangthong

Bow (as we all know her) is intrigued by how the clothes we wear everyday express our indivual styles and personalities and how this connects to the ideas of brand and identity, how we mark ourselves.

After researching fashion, tattoos and piercing and considering differences and similarities between people's faces, she decided to focus on fabric texture and clothes structure and developed a series of bold and dynamic models. They will undoubtedly lead to many exciting and colourful final pieces, characteristic of Bow's flamboyant style as a designer-maker.









 Photos by Jindaporn (Bow) Sangthong

Work in progress designer's profile IV - Peter William Clark

For this project, Peter looked at the unique marks we leave as individuals - be it a fingerprint or a lipstick trace on a napkin.

His research into identity resulted in a very personal collection of Pop Art inspired statement pieces. According to Peter, the collection evolved quite unexpectedly: "It's funny how things change over the space of but a few days!".

To the observer, however, his new works are an excellent representation of Peter's expressive style and his ongoing quest for artistic self-development. They introduce new visual qualities, like detail and the use of text, remaining innovative, contemporary and backed by a strong, intelligent concept. The soft pink silicone is tactile and appealing, and provides an interesting contrast with the metal chains and acrylic frame.

All of Peter's work reflects his enquiring mind and his passion for jewellery - enormous and always contagious.





Photos by Peter William Clark

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Work in progress designer's profile III - Sanna Heino


After training as a goldsmith at Koulutuskeskus Salpaus in Lahti, Sanna left her native Finland to study at the Birmingham School of Jewellery.

In her collection she investigates themes of home and identity, relying on her own experience of moving abroad and the great impact it had on her: "how home sickness affects the way you see everything".

Thinking of the home she had left and trying to find her own place in a new country, her new self, she recognises the need to establish her own inner connections and personal points of reference.
"I looked at maps as they show you where you come from, where you are and they prevent you from getting lost. That gave me an idea - a piece of jewellery that is a map, not a literal one but a resemblance of a place, of a time, of you."


Sanna's drawings are a beautiful fusion of literal and imagined, combining clear lines of traditional maps with the intricate thicket of what may be delicate roots and branches, a river delta or the nervous system.

She then translates these visual qualities with great ease into exciting three dimensional models.





Photos and drawings by Sanna Heino


Sanna concludes : "I’m delighted to mark my own path into my map, I hope you’ll find your way too!"