About Julia |

I was born in Invercargill New Zealand and moved to Wellington when I turned 20. Swayed by the bright lights of the capitol city. I studied at Whitireia Polytechnic in Porirua in my early thirties and gained a Bachelor of Applied Arts majoring in contemporary jewellery. Through my research, peers and tutors I established a love affair with ‘Art Jewellery’, a way to communicate my ideas about the world to the general public. Since graduating and moving away from the jewellery community hub in wellington, firstly to Australia and then back to my Southern roots, based in Riverton. Here I have built a studio to create works from home and a space to teach others the basics of silversmithing. It is here where I mull over ideas and experiment with my bits and bobs. Southland stays true to its traditions and as my art jewellery is far from traditional, networking nationally and further abroad internationally is key to keeping my personal art jewellery dream alive. The Handshake2 project is the perfect opportunity for this!

To keep afloat while my jewellery dream takes flight, my day job is in the kitchen, baking and catering for weddings and events through ‘Bat-a-cake’ my organic baking business. On a more personal note, crafting a more self sustainable lifestyle through a permaculture food forest garden, volunteering at the local environment centre and being a part of the community art centre committee is of importance to my family and I.

Inspiration for my art practice comes from the everyday. Often from the woes of the world, chance meetings, community art projects, to web related research, art exhibitions and trash stores. Sometimes all or none of these factors influence my works.