Scattered Seeds by Welfe Bowyer
KAUKAU presents Scattered Seeds an exhibition of new work by Welfe Bowyer.
‘Scattered Seeds’ is a presentation of new work by jeweller Bowyer, currently based in the Mahurangi East, returning from a ten year stint in Melbourne.
This body of work combines cast elements with found objects and materials, directly influenced by a stark change of environment. New materials are introduced by Bowyer, hand-sawn wood and sailing rope as new daily routines offered inspiration that informed this new collection.
New ideas are also explored by Bowyer around data collection, and the application of specifications on the jewellery itself, revealing both an internal thought process of the jeweller and the intention in which certain proportions are used.
Continuing also ideas from his last exhibition at Craft Contemporary, Victoria, October 2021, Bowyer looks back through his own process cycles and begins to analyse and deconstruct them through the lens of influences such as Adhocism and the Mono-Ha movement, with a focus on sustainability and how practice like his might look to reassess their impact on the environment.
I like to create textures with bronze, silver and gold and combine them with found objects, creating a language that manipulates time and memory.- Welfe Bowyer
Artists
Welfe
Welfe Bowyer is a jewellery designer creating artworks to adorn the body with. Welfe’s pieces create a landscape of their own, exploring form and structure through mixed solid metals, textures, and precious gemstones.
Welfe Bowyer is a jewellery designer creating artworks to adorn the body with. His contemporary pieces combine the essence of old eroded heirlooms through new experimental forms. Using precious gemstones, solid metals and textures, Welfe's jewellery binds these elements for an emphasis on form and structure.
Born in Glaneiwe, Wales and raised in rural New Zealand, Welfe graduated from the Victoria School of Architecture in Wellington in 2005 before moving to Melbourne where he resided for 10 years. Bowyer is now based in Mahurangi East Aotearoa. An award-winning student (Dulux Architecture design award 2004), he simultaneously began experimenting with jewellery design while working in Architecture in Melbourne. This allowed him the perfect medium with which to conceptualise, experiment and create on a scale different to that of architecture - Welfe has always had an interest in three-dimensional forms regardless of scale.
Each piece of jewellery is designed, created and finished by Welfe in his Mahurangi East studio in Northland. All metals and gemstones are ethically sourced, with all diamonds certified fair trade ‘Origin Australia’ diamonds.
KAUKAU offers a range from Welfe’s core collection and facilitates custom pieces. Please be in touch if you would like to enquire about this process.