Beca Beeby

I am a blacksmith and sculptor turned small-scale: my organically formed jewellery & sculptural ceramics are inspired by microscopic and macro exploration of the natural world & my obsession with a particular phenomenon termed ‘Morphogenetics’ by the Victorian biologist & mathematician, D’arcy Thompson, who explains how cell growth & movement results in the same pattern or structure being seen in insects; plants; cell-structure; cracks in mud; fungi; lichen; bubbles; patterns on mammals and sea-life; geological formations: its everywhere.  My local natural environment is key to this inspiration: the forests & meadows and my own edible & medicinal garden all provide a rich source to draw from: My flagship jewellery collection was designed & made in collaboration with my own honeybees, whose honeycomb I carve and form to the shapes I want, before using the lost wax method to cast them into recycled silver. My new collection ‘Artefact’ is inspired by my previous work; a childhood book on Egypt; seaside rockpools and an exploration of techniques, made in cast & forged bronze with a deep turquoise blue patina.  I view my jewellery as wearable sculpture: an attempt to share my awe & obsession, to allow people to own a piece of wonder. The pieces are gender neutral, varying from delicate to statement, Structural and textural, they are organic yet also Brutalist. At each step, the environmental impact of what I do is considered: from recycled materials and packaging, to non-toxic acids and a solar powered workshop, the world that inspires me is incredibly important in my work and I minimise any damage to the Earth.