The Mountain and Me - Performing Trees - Jewellery for the Whitworth
When the Whitworth Gallery in Manchester asked me to design a collection for their new exhibition Performing Trees, I knew straight away I wanted to start with the trees in their park.
I spent time walking around with my camera, photographing the old trees — their bark, twisting branches and delicate leaves. Back at home, I spread the photos out and began sketching, doodling, and playing around with shapes. From there I started experimenting with some mark making, trying out different ways to capture the textures of the trees.
That’s when the idea for printing came about. I gathered some willow leaves from my own garden and began by painting them and pressing them onto my laser-cut bamboo shapes. The impressions created natural, branch-like patterns across the surface, and suddenly the design clicked into place. That’s where this collection really began to grow.
What I love most is that each piece is slightly different. No two leaf prints are ever the same, which makes every item feel like its own little memory of the tree.
The 2nd collection I designed has come directly from the photographs, where I have used the negative images of the trees to create a striking monochrome pattern on the surface of the bamboo.
The full collection is made from sustainably sourced bamboo wood. Even the packaging is thoughtful, everything is printed on 100% recycled card stock.
The exhibition Performing Trees brings together more than 50 works exploring how trees have been represented in art over time. This jewellery is my own way of joining that conversation — taking inspiration from the Whitworth’s trees and turning it into something contemporary, wearable, and personal.
This collection is exclusively available through the Whitworth’s gallery shop and online store. You can explore it here
