How can I say enough about the incredibly talented jeweller, Anna Davern? Anna’s jewellery is eclectic, imaginative and beautiful, exploring themes beyond the mere wearing of gems. She has a cheeky sense of humour, which is clearly seen in her work that investigates the nature of ‘Australian-ness’, where she subverts cultural stereotypes to investigate notions of national identity.
Anna is one of Australia’s most respected contemporary jewellers. She has been the recipient of grants from the Australia Council, Arts Victoria and NAVA and she was awarded the Chairman’s Prize for Innovation in the Victorian Craft Awards, 2017.
Her work straddles the visual arts, jewellery, fashion and education. In 2011 she co-founded Northcity4, a space that provides professional and creative opportunities to the Australian contemporary jewellery community.
Just seeing her creative space and being around her gets me all inspired … and full disclosure, I wear a lot of her work!
Where are you working from today?
My studio in Brunswick. I run a not-for-profit shared artist space in Brunswick we set up in 2011. The Melb CBD has a lot of shared jewellery studios, but we were forced out by rent increases and we wanted to set up a community-based art space that shared skills, ideas, social events, projects laughter and tears!
It’s a very open planned studio with 16 people working here – its not like a traditional art studio with closed-in spaces. We are all great friends and eat lunch together and often have Friday night wine time!
What are you working on?
At the moment I am trying to build a website for my “Rocks Range” at the same time as re-stocking my “Silver Productions” rage for Xmas at my galleries (e.g. etal, Studio Ingot and Craft Victoria).
And I am also looking at applying to exhibit at the Radiant Pavilion Festival next year.
How’s it going?
Well, as doing all of that I am helping my 85 year-old parents moving from Sydney to Melbourne, so I am a bit busy at the moment, but being able to stop and have dog cuddles at the studio helps!
When you get stuck, what do you do?
Cry!
It’s really lucky to have a studio full of people who are here to offer advice, offer a shoulder if needed and having those dog cuddles aways help.
Who sees your earliest version & at what stage?
My partner Andrew Phillips (he’s a graphic design teacher, he makes me think and I may not always agree with him, but he makes me justify what I am trying to say) and Cass Partington (fellow NorthCity 4 Jeweller — I value her option because she is just so cool!)
