Artist Statement

'…..complex in construction, exquisitely made and showing superb craftsmanship….'
Jerwood Award Winner 2007

“As a jeweller I aim to explore the sensuality of the body through the tactility of materials”

Drawing underpins the creative practise of Susan Cross. The development of ideas are distilled and refined through a continuous reflexive process based on the investigation of materials. The relationship between drawing and making is particularly evident in her series of work with vitreous enamel. Precious metals are central to Susan’s making process. Silver is oxidised black, emulating a drawn graphite or inky line.

Inspirations come from plant forms, and from her deeply-rooted interest in textiles, both in terms of borrowed techniques and the range of visual references.

Recent work explores the use of pearls and semi-precious stones, integrated into a metalwork matrix. The symbolic meaning of stones in jewellery has an ancient pedigree and, historically, such pieces became amulets of much personal, aesthetic and social significance. The inherent colour and texture of these natural materials communicate points of transition and the inclusion of stones refer to their historical symbolism of status and individual beauty.
This new phase in Susan’s practice seeks to highlight the transience of life but also to symbolically empower the wearer.   

July 2020