Nicole van der Wolf - Ireland/Chile
Nicole van der Wolf
Designer biography:
Born in Santiago, Chile, Nicole van der Wolf is a goldsmith and gemmologist based in Dublin, Ireland. She trained with the School of Jewellery Ireland, the National College of Art & Design (Dublin), and The Gemmological Society of Great Britain (GEM-A), before setting up her studio in 2015. Nicole is a member of the Irish Jewellers and Silversmiths Guild of Ireland, the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland, and the Gem-A. Nicole has exhibited her work internationally at Sieraad Art Fair in Amsterdam and The Forge Space in London. Her work is available from DesignYard Contemporary Jewellery Gallery in Dublin and Mathilde Gallery in Amsterdam, or from her website. Commissions accepted.
Collection concept:
Nicole has a deep connection to water, and particularly the way people interact with water. Her ShipShape collection celebrates water as a mode of transport. The kinetic pieces are inspired by historic ocean voyages, when goods were stored in barrels, rolling below deck during heavy seas. Gem-set elements are secured by rivets. The chains are inspired by industrial chains that secure large vessels anchored off her native Dutch coast. Made in Argentium silver the links are fused, leaving marks of the fabrication process to echo the joins on heavy anchor chains. Oxidised silver adds to the industrial look, while gems and precious metals honour the courageous seafarers and the powerful oceans.
