Minimalism may appear deceptively simple, but it often masks a complex design process. With its small scale and functional elements, the challenges of achieving truly minimalist design are tenfold in jewellery-making; there is no room for error or unnecessary detail —everything is exposed.

Lucy Anderson, a jeweller from West Sussex, exemplifies this mastery. What began as a hobby for Lucy has developed into an eponymous brand known for its highly distinctive style. Her pieces are large, sculptural, and stripped back to their geometric essence, flawlessly executed without unnecessary detail.  This look is achieved using mathematics - equations and graph paper - which is combined with diverse influences in art and fashion.

 

A graduate of Morley College, Lucy is almost tongue in cheek in her devotion to simplicity, seeking to convey “playfulness” and humour through designs, which while appearing outwardly basic, are often courageously so. Her unique aesthetic has earned her a place in Shine 2024, the Goldsmiths’ Centre’s prestigious new talent showcase presenting emerging talent in the jewellery and silversmithing industry. In this interview, she shares insights into her creative process, the challenges of her craft, and the inspiration that drives her work.

Embarking on a Creative Career

That word—'career'—is still so strange every time I hear it!  I've always had a keen interest in art, design, fashion, and contemporary jewellery and I began to want to make my own work. So I enrolled in an adult education class one morning a week in jewellery and silversmithing, which I loved. I wasn't satisfied with pursuing it as a hobby, so I started a more intensive course at Morley College in London, where I began to hone my design and technical skills.

Joining Shine and Expanding Community
It's wonderful to be accepted into Shine. It's a huge opportunity to be supported by experts in different fields and to become part of a larger community. I already love the community at Morley, so it's great to expand on that.

The support provided during Shine is amazing. It's all a challenge for me, but I also know it's really, really good for me, so I’ll work my way through that!  I'm not afraid to take on a challenge. I'm really looking forward to meeting everybody at the pop-up event including fellow Shine participants and all at the Goldsmiths’ Centre.

Design Style
I would describe my design style as clean, elegant and geometrical. I love geometric patterns and shapes and it's very important where I place those patterns, how I cut or fold or the placement of holes or space in the work. They're all intrinsic to the design. I also love mathematics and I always design on graph paper. I have a collection of vintage graph papers that can sometimes even influence the design, depending on how the squares are aligned. I often use the golden ratio to work out the proportions that I need for the piece to be aesthetically pleasing. As an aside, I did make a collection called Wearable Stationery which was influenced by different paper designs.

Finding Inspiration Everywhere
I spend a lot of time visiting art galleries. I love going to exhibitions and I also enjoy fashion and design—the clever way that fashion designers might put a seam or a button in a certain place. I find inspiration everywhere. What I'm always looking for is a little frisson, a buzz, that feeling of 'wow—I love how they’ve done that,' when everything is so simple and maybe there’s just a line on the canvas. I admire the courage of artists and designers to just do that, and that's the work. My inspiration is often from the energy in a work. It might be that I don't really appreciate a piece aesthetically, but I admire the thought and the process. It's almost like the punchline of a joke—a sense of humour, a playfulness, and the courage to pull it off.

V&A Inspired By Competition and Artistic Influences
I was involved in a project at Morley College, influenced by the V&A Inspired By competition.  It was a brilliant project. I went to the V&A and I saw Annie Turner's Oyster Net. It looks like a metal piece but it’s ceramic. I loved the grid element of it and the curvature in the net. I then came away and made my first grid brooch and the curves in the brooch were reflecting the curves in Annie Turner's work. Since then, I've continued to make my grids, and I'm also inspired by the works of Agnes Martin and Gego—I love the simplicity, again, of grid and line. Some of my other works are inspired by artists such as Bridget Riley and Barbara Hepworth and textile designers such as Sonia Delaunay and Anni Albers. I enjoy all the circles, squares and grids.

The Circle Grid Collection for Shine 2024
The collection I've made for Shine 2024 is called Circle Grid, and it's a collection of nine brooches, grids, circles, and one ellipse. I love making brooches because they enable me to work freely—there's less consideration of size and practicality, which are often the very last things on my mind. I think that if somebody likes it, they will wear it, even if it's impractical and big. I see the brooches as a collection of individual sculptures that you can wear. This collection has taught me a lot about my own aesthetic. It's almost a culmination of what I've been making to date.

The Jewellery-Making Process
I spend a lot of time in my head, imagining and designing and while the techniques are straightforward, there's a lot of filing, piercing, polishing, and finishing involved, it’s retaining the minimalism and the simplicity that challenges me. My process can vary—sometimes I'll create a paper model first or I might just dive straight into making. The most important aspect is ensuring that the design will actually work. For example, with a brooch pin, I strive to maintain an absolutely minimalist simplicity, but it's challenging because I need to keep the pin completely hidden. This is where the technique becomes crucial—making it work as a piece of jewellery is the real challenge.  It’s essential to explore and ensure that the design functions technically. Whatever conclusion or decision I come to in the end, even the smallest details, like how the piece is fixed, need to align with my vision. I don't want anything to disrupt that simplicity.

The Cut/Fold Circle Brooch
I’ve grown to love the Cut/Fold Circle Brooch because I disliked it so much on its journey!  It's one of the more challenging pieces in the collection, because of both its simplicity and its complexity. I had a beautiful piece of graph paper to design it on, which was round.  I could work out the placing, the angles of the cut and the fold. I often find that the pieces that challenge me most are the pieces I end up loving the most because I put so much of myself into them. I always love the grids. They too are a massive challenge in terms of soldering. I'm terrified of melting things in the process and I have melted a number of them!

The Ideal Wearer of My Work
I’d like to think the people most drawn to my work are connoisseurs of great design, who may be recognised for their unique style. Someone with a sense of humour who understands the playfulness in the simplicity and someone who isn't afraid to be themselves.

Personal Growth and Looking Ahead
I feel a growth in my self-confidence, having been through the challenges of Shine. I'm hoping that this increased confidence will take me forward. I'm currently working on new pieces and considering what’s next. My work is also currently part of the Peggy Guggenheim exhibition at Petersfield Museum and Art Gallery until October.

There was something that came to me this morning; that I like to see that my research into what I have always loved and enjoyed, alongside my learning is coming together in what I'm making. I never imagined I would be doing this—it’s exciting and so unexpected.