Artist statement
I see my jewellery practice as a way to explore materiality and bridge thinking into form.
My visceral response to everyday experiences & spaces tends to play a big part in what inspires my work and informs my material exploration, from metal, found object, plastics and paint. I often find I’m drawn to incorporating some aspect of repurposing, utilising objects for their material value or cultural reference in the creation of my work.
Bio
Fran’s early foundation in the arts began with a passion for fashion design, earning her several national awards in her teens and early 20s. After a hiatus, she returned to study at Whitireia NZ, where she graduated in 2016 with a BAppA and Graduate Diploma in contemporary jewellery. Highlights from this time include her selection for Wunderrūma (2014), an internationally touring exhibition curated by Karl Fritsch & Warwick Freeman. In 2015, she was awarded a NZ Federation of Graduate Women scholarship and the Whitireia- Toi Pōneke Artist Residency, where she completed her postgraduate work and major solo show, MOOP (Matter Out Of Place).
Fran has continued to develop her practice extensively, exhibiting both nationally and internationally. Among her notable achievements is Moments of Jewelleryness, a collaborative project she co-founded in 2017 with fellow jeweller Caroline Thomas. This evolving partnership has led to exhibiting in Radiant Pavilion (2017), as well as major shows at Toi Pōneke (2022) and Nelson Jewellery Week (2023).
In 2023, Fran was selected for the two-year Handshake Project mentorship program (HS8). Her work is held in private collections and she is represented by The Jewel and The Jeweller in New Plymouth, Vu Jewellers in Queenstown, and Mason & Collins in Wellington.
Fran Carter‘s images
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