INTRODUCING ARTIST AND JEWELLER ANDREW LAMB

February 19, 2025

INTRODUCING ARTIST AND JEWELLER ANDREW LAMB

Andrew Lamb's work is deeply rooted in the rich heritage of traditional goldsmithing, drawing inspiration from techniques refined over thousands of years.

His practice seeks to push the boundaries of aesthetic expression while maintaining a high level of technical mastery. By utilising specialised wire-working techniques and exploring both precious alloys and unconventional materials like titanium, Andrew creates pieces that blend innovation with tradition.

Ahead of TEFAF Maastricht 2025, we spoke with Andrew Lamb as we prepare to showcase his work for the first time. Works for sale - coming soon.

WORKS FOR SALE
Work in progress - Lenticular ring inspired by Italo Calvino Six Memmos for the Next Millenium

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what drew you to study jewellery at art school?

I am originally from Edinburgh and now live and work in Glasgow. Over the years, I’ve lived and worked across the UK, from London to Aberdeen, and have been proud to exhibit and teach around the world.

I currently balance my time between my studio practice and my role as a Reader and Lecturer in Silversmithing and Jewellery at The Glasgow School of Art. I’ve always loved making and creating, and I’ve been fortunate to have been supported, and influenced, by many creatives on my journey to becoming the maker I am today.

With the support of a creative family, I was encouraged to pursue an artistic career, which led me to studying at Edinburgh College of Art. During my foundation year, I explored an array of art or design-based subjects. But it was a 5-day introductory elective in the Jewellery and Silversmithing department that really sparked my imagination and where I found myself at home creatively. That was in 1996, and I’ve never looked back!
I still remember the excitement of meeting like-minded students and tutors, in particular the late Dorothy Hogg. Everything was new to me. I had no background or experience in jewellery or metalwork but was quickly drawn to this expression of creativity. Looking back, I realise that if Dorothy hadn’t introduced me to and opened up her world, I may very well have ended up working in an entirely different field.

The joy of acquiring new skills on an intricate scale, learning techniques, and exploring creative possibilities with different materials was, and remains to this day, hugely appealing. I felt an instant connection and knew I’d found my path.

Now, 25 years on from graduating, I feel incredibly lucky to be doing what I love — making, teaching, and sharing my passion for jewellery with others.
1996 to 2016, experimental work samples and test pieces © Catriona Mickel Photography

Where do you find inspiration for your work?

That’s always a difficult question to answer concisely as there are so many influences and experiences that shape my way of thinking and my approach to making. I often reference illusion and optical principles in jewellery, echoing the perfection found in nature or structures in textiles, tempered by the shifting patterns of how we see and perceive the world. My work continues to evolve and yet I can trace a meandering link between every piece I have made, connecting back to early material samples, test pieces, or even sketches from my time at both the Edinburgh College of Art and the Royal College of Art.

The journey from concept to finished piece unfolds through countless hours of experimentation. I am deeply inspired, and fascinated, by the history of goldsmithing and traditional skills and by museum visits and handling artefacts, imagining how certain pieces might have been conceived. Regardless of whether I’m exploring techniques and technologies or responding to materiality and concept, my process is always hands-on. I constantly search for innovative ways to approach my practice, allowing my work to evolve and the pieces to surprise the viewer and the wearer.
Lenticular Brooch, 2016, 18ct yellow and white gold © Photo by Sylvain Deleu

How did you find your own style?

During my studies, I became increasingly focused on the use of wire as a means of expression. It quickly became the natural medium through which I could translate my creative ideas into tangible objects—particularly through working on smaller, more detailed jewellery pieces. Working with wire allowed me to create volume and visual effects, and its infinite possibilities continue to drive and influence my practice.

I love that gold or silver can be meticulously drawn down into wire, forming fine, threadlike filaments, and that delicate strands can be layered or interlaced to reflect light, creating subtle contrasts, strength, and added dimension. The process of transforming a solid ingot into something so far removed from its original form is immensely fulfilling and I can completely lose myself in the process. Whilst the method may be slow, I find great satisfaction in leaving my fingerprint on the object from start to finish.

I remember being referred to as a “wireaholic” by my tutors—a description that is probably quite accurate and still applies to me today. This evolution of my practice is evident in my collection for TEFAF. Meters and meters of wire, or thousands of methodically made individually placed elements, make up the brooches, rings, and necklaces. My style has evolved over time and with the benefit of further testing and research, but memories of my early experiences at Edinburgh College of Art, where I studied jewellery, drawing, sculpture, tapestry, graphic design, and glass during my foundation year, are the true starting point for this journey.
Work in progress: Fibonacci Brooch

You use multiple precious metals in the same piece. Can you explain a little more about the process involved in combining these metals?

I regularly spend days, or even weeks, preparing my materials before beginning to create my designs. The process of making bi-metals is one that has evolved over time and has largely developed from an earlier interest in sheet metal techniques. Rather than creating patterns or textures on the surface of sheet metal, I was seeking for my surfaces to be integral to the design. So, you could say that I’ve developed a way of creating my own "fabric”.

When I’m working, I twist two or more wires together or carefully laminate them before pulling the strands through draw plates with precision. This process requires great control to ensure the wires can be flattened, twisted again, or formed and cut into multiple pieces. The exact positioning of the different bi metals allows me to create optical effects, such as a moiré or lenticular holographic effect, where movement reveals or hides different facets of the wires and creates a subtle and often mesmerising illusion.

I handle the wires under a microscope and solder or laser-weld them with meticulous accuracy and although there is a mathematical precision to the way I design and plan pieces, there is an organic flow and spontaneity within the surfaces I am creating. The techniques I’ve developed are my own reinvention of ancient methods, offering a contemporary twist on traditional techniques like granulation, filigree, and mokume-gane.
Andrew's drawbench, image courtesy of the artist

What is one tool you couldn’t live without; do you have a photo of it?

That’s a tough one! It would be tricky to continue my work without most of the tools in my fully equipped workshop. However, if I had to choose just one, and this would be not only for its functionality but also for its beauty, it would have to be my wooden drawbench (and, of course, my plates to go with it, if that’s allowed!).

This drawbench was built by the late William Kirk, one of my tutors and an exceptionally talented Scottish silversmith. It is a wooden replica of the drawbench in the Jewellery and Silversmithing department at the Edinburgh College of Art. Even if I were no longer making, I would still find a use for it as a piece of furniture! No, it’s not an instrument of torture, as visitors to my studio often remark, but it’s not far removed from the one pictured on the left in this 16th-century Paris goldsmith’s workshop print, where metal is pulled gradually through finer and finer holes into different cross-sections (round, square, oval, triangular).

It is this drawbench which enables me to indulge in transforming precious metal and my love of working with wire.

Andrew Lamb's work will be available to view on our stand at TEFAF Maastricht from the 13 to 20 March.
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