Winner – Emily Hope Award for Figurative Work
(donor Professor AD Hope Endowment)
Growing up on the Mornington Peninsula, I have always had a close relationship with nature; the ocean has long instilled a sense of wonder and contemplation. Oceanic and natural themes infiltrate my work as I seek to capture the delicacy, texture, and luminosity of underwater scapes. At the heart of this project is an exploration of the ‘creative flow state’—a release of control over making, where spontaneity and intuition drive the process. I have found automatic drawing allows me to enter the state of creative flow, opening pathways for new creative energy and unexpected solutions. The gestural, raw beauty of drawn lines is central to my work, serving as a foundation to retain a sense of movement and immediacy in my metal work. I have created vessels adorned with jewellery using traditional gold and silversmithing methods of raising, fusing, granulation, reticulation, and setting. This project became a journey without a fixed destination. Through the intuitive shaping of wire and sheet metal, combined with gems and enamel, each element found its place within the series.
instagram.com/rubyhughesjewellery
