Featured Picks: Kirsty Sumerling

To celebrate the Elements Online Shop for 2021, we reached out to a range of curators, writers, style influencers and more to select their top 5 favourite pieces from the Elements Online Shop and talk us through their selections.

KIRSTY SUMERLING

Kirsty Sumerling is Director of The Scottish Gallery based in Edinburgh, Scotland’s oldest privately owned commercial gallery. Kirsty received a BA (Hons) in Design & Applied Arts from Edinburgh College of Art, and an MA in Jewellery & Silversmithing from Edinburgh College of Art.

Singularity I Brooch by Michelle Currie

I am drawn to the restrained simplicity of Michelle’s Singularity I Brooch; a tactile piece created from iron shards that speaks of hidden forces and magnetic fields. There is no brooch pin employed here, instead a strong magnet acts as the mechanism; a further nod to Michelle's research undertaken at the Physics and Astronomy Laboratories at The University of Glasgow, where she learnt about their world leading research into black holes and gravitational waves. 

Brush Stroke Beaker by Jessica Jue

Jessica Jue's Brush Stroke Beaker aims to evoke the feeling of freedom and expression found in a painter’s artistic brush work. The gold detail applied with the Korean technique of Keum-boo also reminds me of irregular lines found in nature, not least wild grasses and wildflower stems, bare and windblown as winter approaches. 

Circle of Life Dish by Katie Watson

I love the detail and narrative nature of this piece, from the depths of pondlife to the woodland creatures and birds of prey swooping overhead. It reminds me of childhood afternoons enjoying The Animals of Farthing Wood!

Gem-Metal Hexagon Keum-Boo Ring by Sheng Zhang

A playful take on the classic silhouette of a single stone ring but instead featuring oxidised silver and fused gold applied with the Korean technique of Keum-boo. The perfect marriage of simplicity and geometry with the warmth of gold - no stone required!

Curved Curves Brooches by Sheng Zhang

I love this series exploring minimal shape and materials. When worn, each brooch also frames the fabric it inhibits, drawing attention to the negative space as opposed to the form itself.