Advocate-turned-artist wins at the 'Oscars' of jewellery

Sunday 12 March 2023

A former Jersey lawyer who left her 20-year career to become an artist is celebrating winning awards in the 'Oscars' of the jewellery world.

Kerry Lawrence’s enamelled cocktail measure, 'Cheers Mr Hockney', won bronze awards in the 3D design enamelling and £D craft enamelling categories of the prestigious Goldsmith Craft and Design Council Awards.

The annual Goldsmith Craft and Design Council Awards are known as 'the Oscars' of the jewellery industry, and it is therefore a huge honour for artists to be rewarded there.

Pictured: Kerry has been working on enamelling, silversmithing and engraving for about four years now, and this was her first year entering the awards.

Kerry said she was “delighted” to win the awards for her artwork, but that after four years of enamelling experience, this is just the beginning.

She left her career as an advocate four years ago to pursue enamelling, despite feeling lucky and having enjoyed her legal career.

“It’s simple," she said. "You only get one go at life. I felt it was time to change my path.”

Kerry's brother had gifted her a piece of enamelled silver which she started researching, and ended up falling in love with enamelling.

“I was looking around on the internet,” she explained. “I came across Jane Short and I thought ‘her work is amazing’. I thought: ‘I want to do that - I have to do that’.

“That’s when I went to do some courses and gently started a studio in my house.”

Kerry has spent time with modern master enamellers with different specialisms, but also enjoys working alone.

"A lot of it is working by myself," she admitted. "It’s great to spend time with masters —  then you go away and it’s about practice.”

Her award-winning piece is inspired by David Hockney’s swimming pool paintings. Kerry said that she thought the colours in the piece are "wonderful" and therefore wanted to incorporate them into her own artwork.

Pictured: Kerry was inspired by the colours in David Hockney's swimming pool paintings.

She created an enamelled cocktail measure - the two halves are held together by magnets and when they’re separate, you can pour spirits into the lower piece.  

“It’s a huge boost to receive an award, and for my work to have been judged worthy by leading professionals in the enamelling world,” Kerry said.

“It means I’m on the right path. I still see myself as at the beginning of my creative adventure, but now it’s onwards and upwards.”

In future, Kerry hopes to create more commissioned work to build her business.