Reduce, Re-use and Re-inspire

The Recycled Parcels Challenge

2023 sees @ Work Gallery in Pimlico London, celebrating 25 years in business. I’ve been involved with the gallery (and its wonderful owners Jo Butler and Adele Tipler) for more than half of those years, as a supplier, teacher, workshop resident and friend.

Traditionally 25 years is a silver celebration. Anyone who knows @ Work will know that tradition isn’t their thing, so to celebrate this landmark year they will be running a series of exhibitions and events celebrating recycled jewellery called: “Reduce, Re-use and Re-inspire”

I took part in the first exhibition of the year which is the “Recycled Parcels Challenge” and the pieces also featured at Scrap Merchants Live, an alternative catwalk show .

For the challenge, I was sent a parcel of “materials” to make jewellery from. Watch the video to see the things I got to play with.

I created a range of dystopian style designs. After (carefully!) cutting up the nitrous oxide cannisters, I flattened them with a hydraulic press to create the shapes. My work is often highly finished, but for this project I embraced the rough surfaces and heat patinas the material offered. I used brass off-cuts to create the little stars and a discarded coil of steel garden wire to create the connecting links for the necklaces. The plastic chandelier was melted and re-assembled into a statement necklace.

All pieces are exclusively available from the gallery. Most of the designs will be one-offs so contact the gallery directly to reserve a piece.

*At work gallery is situated on the corner of Ponsonby Terrace and John Islip street, London SW1P 4PZ . It’s a 2 minute walk from Pimlico station, 5 minutes from Tate Britain and 25 minutes river-side walk from the newly re-opened Battersea Power Station.

Phone number: 020 7821 9723

Photography on models: Darren Evans, www.darrenevans.com