Mark Newman

MEET THE MAKER

After graduating in 2015 from the National College of Art & Design with a Degree in Craft Design, specialising is Metalwork & Jewellery. I Relocated to Glasgow where I took up a position as Artist in Residence at the School of Art in order gain teaching experience while developing a new body of work.

In 2017 I returned to home to study with the Design & Crafts Council Ireland, undertaking their Goldsmithing & Jewellery Design course in their world-renowned Centre of Excellence.

During this time, I finally became skilled enough to create the pieces I had always envisioned, as well as the conceptual ideas I would build my practice upon. Having pushed my designs and making to their limits I found myself looking to modern design and production technologies, not to replace my handmaking but to enhance it and create work that would be otherwise impossible using tra- ditional methods. For this reason, in 2019 I enrolled in Birmingham School of Jewellery’s Design for Industry programme.

This time devoted to developing my crafts was recognised by the RDS in 2020 when I received an RDS Craft Award.

My practice draws visual inspiration from system design, civil engineering and architectural theory.

I deconstruct these in order to explore political and sociological ideas. I’m fascinated by the logic driven patterns found within systems humanity has created for purely utilitarian reasons. The wealth of visual information these patterns possess, and their inherent link to the functioning of society provide me with a mode of expression for my conceptual ideas.

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO TAKE PART OF iATELIER PROGRAMME?

I applied for the iAtelier programme being aware of the transformative power of collaboration. I hope thought this collaboration process with other makers to break free from the restraints related to the scale of jewellery and create larger and more compelling work.