Sarah Powell

The Artist’s profile

I have always been drawn to the processes behind realising an artwork, from darkroom
photography to printmaking and sculpture. I relish the time it takes from concept to completion,
and everything that unfolds through the making process.

I became motivated to bridge my fine art background with contemporary craft through jewellery,
after starting to work with local materials, in particular, stone from the Jurassic south coast of
England.

For me, finding material consciously and building a relationship with it, follows on the nature of
jewellery as objects of personal sentiment. In this way, materiality and place are core concepts in
my work that are interchangeable, they depend on each other. I am interested in the memory that
material holds, and I believe that by going to its place of origin and understanding the conditions it
comes from, the jewellery that I make is imbued with a deeper knowledge of itself.
I am constantly inspired by the personal nature of jewellery, the relationship between body and
object and that there is a wearer who completes the piece.

After completing a BA In Fine Art (first) at Kingston University, London in 2009, I attended the
Academy of Fine Art, Munich from 2014-2020 where I completed a postgraduate diploma in the
class of Jewellery and Hollowware.

Sustainability

A core part of my practice is involved with the origins of material, and finding the materials that I
work with, myself, by working in and with landscape. These materials include; Flint, shale, chalk,
Portland stone, wood, London clay and self-grown woad dye.
I also use accent materials such as recycled silver, recycled gold, steel, thread, copper, mostly
serving as functional aspects of a piece. I always aim to ensure that these are as sustainable as
possible.

cv

Sarah Powell, born in Dorset, England.

Education & Activities

2014 – 2020 Postgraduate Diploma, Class of Jewellery and Hollowware,
Prof. Karen Pontoppidan, Academy of Fine Arts Munich

2006 – 2009 BA Fine Art (First), Kingston University, London

2003 – 2005 National Diploma Photography, Arts University Bournemouth

A selection of my exhibitions and group exhibitions are; 2024 Empathy, Gallery of Art in Legnica, Poland / 2024 Koru8, The Finnish Forest Museum, Lusto, Finland / 2023 Schmuck, IHM München, Munich / 2022 Campfire, Galerie Door, Mariaheide, Netherlands / 2022 Buckle Up, Galerie Door at Seidlvilla, Munich / 2021 Intonations, Thamesside Studios Viewing Room, London /2021 Koru7, South Karelia Museum, Lappeenranta, Finland / 2021 MUC / Schmuck. Perspectives on a private Munich Jewellery Collection, Münchner Stadtmuseum, Munich / 2020 abracadabra, diploma exhibition, Academy of Fine Arts, Munich / 2020 meme – with the jewellery and hollowware class Academy of Fine Arts Munich, Galerie Maurer Zilioli, Munich / 2019 Natural Beauty – The New Nature, Galerie Handwerk, Munich / 2019 SALE, AkademieGalerie, Munich / 2018 O.T Academy of Fine Art, Munich / 2018 Inside job, Tate Modern, London / 2018 a circle ajar, iRRland, Munich / 2018 Talente, IHM München, Munich / 2017 BKV-Prize 2017 for Young Applied Arts, Munich / 2016 What makes you, Kunstarkaden, Munich / 2016 25th Legnica International Jewellery Competition ‘CITY’ Legnica, Poland / 2016 a.k.a, Academy of Fine Art, Munich / 2016 Kugelalarm, Galerieburg2, Halle / 2015 Wo, Academy of Fine Art, Munich / 2014 mineralART “Between layers – inner worlds of agate”, German Gemstone Museum, Idar-Oberstein / 2014 Al buon vino non bisogna frasca, Aurora Joalheiros, Lisbon / 2013 Serpentine, Newhouse Centre for Contemporary Art, New York (solo)