As we welcome a new year, with some exciting projects on the horizon, we also open our arms to yet more talents in craft and design who have joined Design-Nation’s membership in late 2023.
Our new Professional members are Bea Jareno, Nick Newlands, and Su France who moves up from Associate. Bea is a jeweller based in London who takes pride in her exquisite craftsmanship as she makes new treasures from fully recycled precious metals and gemstones. Nick is based in Brighton and trades as Hounddog Designs, making Scandinavian-flavoured plywood lighting and furniture. His aesthetic is influenced by previously being based in Norway. Su France originally joined us in summer 2023 and explores the Lincolnshire landscape through her print-practice practice, enjoying recent research time supported by an Arts Council England development grant which allowed greater experimentation with materials.
Our latest Graduate members are Ekta Bagri in Oxford, trading as Ceramica Ekta and making conceptual sculptural pieces; Hampshire based Emily Barnett who graduated from the prestigious Royal School of Needlework in 2023 with a first class degree in hand embroidery; Irish-born Joanne Lamb whose RCA masters pieces use tatami paper and other natural materials in delicate hand woven sculptures; Cumbria-based ceramicist Kathryn Stevens who makes forms inspired by the structures and detritus of the local ship-building industry; award winning weaver Lara Pain, who studied at Central St Martins and is now based at Cockpit Arts in London; and jeweller Rachael Plassard, also of Hampshire, whose layered and pierced surfaces explore new takes on traditional techniques and themes around memory.
New Associates joining Design-Nation include two Lincolnshire-based ceramicists Christabelle Howie and Deanne Seaman. Christabelle draws inspiration from nature for her decorative pieces, while Deanne trades as Chalk Hill Ceramics and makes functional objects in stoneware and slip. Our third new Associate is the much travelled Jennifer Orchard who is now based in Wiltshire and working in textile and fibre techniques.
We welcome everyone to the Design-Nation community and look forward to working with these talents in 2024.
