Libby Tibbles- BA (Hons) Product Design and Craft
A little girls memories, turned into jewellery
My jewellery practice explores nostalgia and the fond memories I have of growing up with my big sister, the relationship between childhood and adulthood through a collection of five rings. Creating 3D diamond nets inspired by nostalgic sweets and plastic toys I had growing up with a more exaggerated charming twist, combining these playful aesthetics with contemporary jewellery techniques to create a collection that reminds people of childhoodbut with the added “adult” value of precious metals and stone settings. I use stone settings to add those pops of colour and use materials such as mother of pearl to reflect the soft, sparkly qualities I associate with childhood memories.
To bring out the childish aspect within my collection I use chemical etching onto sheet brass before I carefully score and fold my pieces into that classic diamond shape, the surface etching is inspired by my own hand drawn childhood doodles that reference the carefree creativity of growing up with my older sister. These small surfaces doodles are subtle on quite sculptural and bold rings but act as little hidden memories within my pieces.
My work revisits the excitement and comfort of a pink, glitter filled childhood by using my own personal memories but also tying in recognisable shapes from other people’s childhoods, whilst acknowledging the impossibility of returning to it. So, this collection of rings becomes wearable keepsakes to my own childhood but a message that other viewers are able to connect to, with their own fond memories in mind.
