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Experimenting with a new format has opened up fresh possibilities for artist and jeweller Hamish Munro. ‘Obscure compositions, textures, and precise angles… have generally challenged the way I think about the jewellery I want to create,’ he explains, of his new computer-aided design approach. Hamish’s latest collection, ‘Order’ emerged from basic hand-drawn sketches, that he was later able to stretch and manipulate using software.
That said, the self-taught jeweller is conscious of not letting a computer control his designs, and continues to draw heavily from the physical-world – ‘the forms, embellishments and language that’s found within classical western architecture,’ explains the creative, who lived in Paris in 2015 and developed a keen appreciation for its cityscape. ‘I knew these surroundings would eventually come through in my work, but it wasn’t until I moved back to Melbourne that I began to reflect, which lead me to deconstruct the forms and eventually reinterpret them in jewellery.’
The VCA Fine Art Sculpture grad works from his Collingwood studio, creating jewellery collections, making commissioned pieces and working on a mix of installation projects, from sculptural pieces to interior spaces and shop fittings. Guilty of never switching off, Hamish’s brain is constantly racing with thoughts about work and new techniques or processes that he is eager to understand: ‘This “unknown” is what keeps me interested and keeps my work constantly evolving,’ he says.
Hamish’s studio is located just across the hall from his new showroom, which opened late last year, and stocks his own work alongside a considered edit of favourite apparel, accessories and publications. Doing much of the fit-out himself, and taking his time to get things right, Hamish has embraced the space’s five-metre-high ceilings, original windows, doors and wall panels. He even spent three months building just the showroom cabinets (!) using salvaged materials, and timber mouldings in shapes referencing his jewellery.
‘My studio and showroom are within an old red brick factory in Collingwood and I feel really lucky that I had a lot of untouched interior details to work with,’ says Hamish. ‘There has been some contemporary development in the street, but we’re also beginning to see like-minded business come into the area and embrace these older spaces.’
38 Cambridge Street
Collingwood, Melbourne
Open Thursday to Saturday, 12.00pm to 5.00pm, or by appointment.
Find out more about Hamish Munro’s new store and jewellery at hamishmunro.com.au.
