Concentrating on one-off, exhibition pieces and private commissions, Anastasia Young creates intricate and unusual jewellery which combines precious metal mechanical components with gemstones. Her current collection consists of a range of jewellery derived from cast mechanical components, adapted and transformed into decorative and wearable pieces, which vary from the boldly masculine to finely detailed and elegant forms.
“I am intrigued by the narratives conveyed by function, and the ways in which an object describes this function by its form, but my pieces are often subversive because they do not function in the expected manner and very often are no more than aesthetic pseudo-machines, reduced to decorative curiosities.”
Having graduated from the Royal College of Art in 2004, Anastasia established as a sole trader and has been making jewellery, and teaching short courses in jewellery-making at Central Saint Martins, where she also lectures on the BA Jewellery course. Other projects she has worked on include a consultancy for Swarovski, a commission for the British Art Medal Society and a solo exhibition of boxed installations entitled Experiments from the Spiders’ Laboratory. Anastasia’s work has been exhibited internationally, as well as at Goldsmiths’ Craftsmanship and Design Awards 2005 and 2006, Dazzle 04/05, and Contemporary Applied Arts Gallery in London.
Anastasia is the author of technical jewellery books: The Jewellery Materials Sourcebook (A & C Black, 2008) and The Workbench Guide to Jewelry Techniques (Thames & Hudson, 2010). Signed copies of both titles are available through her website.
Image credits (from left): 4/2 Rings (Anastasia Young), 1-51 Necklace (Anastasia Young), 5R1 Ring (Anastasia Young)
Anastasia Young
Jewellery
News Flash!
Anastasia is currently working on her third technical jewellery book, which will be published early next year.