Winner

Incorporation of Hammermen Prize

School of Design Silversmithing & Jewellery

Kristina Merchant

Conceptual and narrative-led artworks that engage the viewer in playful perceptions on material preciousness, is the focus of this series of works. The collection Vision of Beauty is a narrative jewellery-mise-en-scène themed scour of the street. These pieces are imbued with realism and materiality. The objects and jewellery pieces highlight a message on societal norms of littering single-use plastic and disregarded objects found along the cracks of the concrete pavement. From the most littered item on earth, the cigarette filter, to pavement pennies, these pieces aim to spark a conversation about what is considered precious material, but with a humorous intention.

 

 

Featured image by Shannon Tofts

Photography by Jessica Wishart

Modelled by Jenny Wilson, Daniel Cox

 

Contact
kristinamerchantdesign@gmail.com
kristinamerchantjewellery.cargo.site
@kristinamerchant_
Works
Pavement Pennies
Marlboro Gold
Gum Behind the Ear
Wrigley’s
Scour the Street

Pavement Pennies

One-of-a-kind bottle cap tool was spun on the lathe and then carved into creating the fold creases, the badges have unique forms to reflect the distressed and found, coloured by enameling, brand logos is created on illustrator with a play on words and applied through laser decal and finished with oxidising.

 

Pavement pennies

Materials: Oxidised enamelled copper, laser decal
For Sale: Pin - £77.00 Badge - £88.00

Marlboro Gold

The brooches use raw amber to represent the cigarette filter, (alluding to the traditional amber smoking pipes), the amber is initially formed on a grinding machine and then using pendant drill for fine details. Silver is thinly rolled, oxidised and manipulated to emulate burnt or crinkled paper, with the ground waste amber used as tobacco filling. 24k gold is applied referring to the Marlboro Gold cigarette through the technique Keum-boo.

Ashtray

Amber, silver, 24k gold.

Ashtray

Materials: Amber, silver, 24k gold.
For Sale: Left: £300.00 Right: £350

Ashtray

Amber, silver, 24k gold.

Cigarette brooch & Gum Behind the Ear

Amber, silver, gold stud, bone

Cigarette & Wrigley's gum brooches

Materials: Amber, bone, silver
For Sale: Crumpled cigarette pin Material: Amber, silver Price: £310.00, Flattened straight cigarette Material: Amber, silver Price: £410.00, Wrigleys brooch Material: Silver, bone Price: £505.00

Cigarette brooch

Materials: Amber, silver,

Ashtray

Materials: Amber, bone, silver, 24k gold

Ashtray

Materials: Amber, bone, silver, 24k gold
For Sale: £175.00

Gum Behind the Ear

This earring uses carved buffalo bone repurposed from objects such as game counters, a guitar saddle, and a vintage letter opener to envision the nostalgia behind putting gum behind the ear.

Gum Behind The Ear - Gum Earring

Materials: Gold stud, bone
For Sale: Price: £175.00

Wrigley’s

This piece uses carved buffalo bone from repurposed objects such as game counters, a guitar saddle, and a vintage letter opener. Silver is thinly rolled and crinkled to replicate Wrigley’s zig-zags chewing gum wrappers.

Wrigley's - Zig-zag earring

Materials: silver, bone

Wrigley's - zig-zag earring

Materials: silver, bone
For Sale: Price: £175.00

Scour the Street

Scour the street

Materials: Amber, bone, tape, silver, 24k gold
For Sale: Stubbed out cigarette pin Material: Amber, silver Price: £350.00 Puddle marlboro gold brooch Material: 24k, 18k, 9k gold, silver, amber Price: £750.00 Chewing gum wrapper pin Material: silver, bone, tape Price: £275.00

Scour the street

Materials: Amber, bone, tape, silver, 24k gold