During COVID-19 lockdown, we talked with three of our jewellers about what they’ve been up to while the store was closed.
KARIN
During the lockdown, Karin has made an effort to slow down and be more mindful in her time spent in nature. Her tour-guiding work has ceased, for the time being, giving her more time to spend gardening, cooking, pickling, preserving and fermenting her home-grown produce.
Karin has been spending a lot of time moving in and setting up the new studio that her partner has built for her! She has been using this opportunity to organise an efficient workflow, spruce up her tools, and reflect on previous designs and exhibitions. As well as setting up her new studio, she has been photographing her work so that she can open up her online jewellery store soon.
This time in isolation has given Karin the space to reflect on how she wants her work to progress in the future. With such a wealth of potential designs, including continuing inspiration from her Antarctic marine biology background, and travels to the desert regions of Australia, the challenge for her is to distil these ideas and find focus. She is excited to see where her mind and hands take her.
Karin is looking forward to welcoming customers back into FIND now we are back open! With the easing of restrictions, she is also looking forward to catching up with friends, being able to visit National Parks, go bushwalking and returning to her job guiding bespoke tours in Tasmania.
SOPHIE
Sophie was looking forward to doing an artists’ residency on King Island before COVID-19 shut down those plans. She has instead used this time to renovate the kitchen with her partner!
After her mad burst of renovations, Sophie made it back into the studio where she has been working on a collaboration of exhibition pieces with ceramist Sarah Rayner. The pair have been having a conversation of sorts, sending each other a piece of work inspired by the flora of their surroundings, and creating a companion piece to the work that each receives.
Once the restrictions have eased, Sophie is looking forward to the upcoming exhibition in Sydney. The exhibition will be held in Sydney’s Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert in October.
This strange global pause has been an interesting time for Sophie to work on her exhibition. She is curious to see how this body of work is influenced by these times.
LAUREN
Lauren has been in her element during the lockdown, using this time to become even more productive and creative than before. It can be distracting with her daughter and husband at home, but she’s been enjoying working on the bench five days per week. The luxury of working during her most productive times has produced so much creativity. She has also been keeping busy working two days a week at her second job, and has enjoyed switching focus for a while.
For Lauren, this time has given her a feeling of calm without the stresses of so many time constraints. She has been busier working during COVID, but it’s been at her own pace, which has increased her productivity and creativity.
As restrictions ease, Lauren is looking forward to having her stockists open again.
“My work is best tried on and connecting my pieces with customers in real life provides a much more personal connection than online.”
We can’t wait to show you what we’ve been creating during lockdown. We look forward to welcoming you back to FIND Contemporary Jewellery Collective, which is now open again seven days per week!
