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Jewellery & Metal (MA)

Adam Henderson

Adam Henderson was born in 1992, in Glasgow, Scotland. He studied his BA in Silversmithing and Jewellery at Glasgow School of Art, where he later returned as an Artist in Residence and eventually became a Visiting Lecturer. During the five years between his BA and MA at the RCA, Adam continued to create work from his studio in the East End of Glasgow whilst exhibiting his works internationally. At this time, as well as organising several contemporary jewellery exhibitions in the city, he also worked as a craftsman, using experimental techniques with a Glasgow watchmaker to develop their own vitreous enamel watch dials. Adam sees no discernible difference between much of contemporary jewellery and other more commonly recognised contemporary art forms and strives to blur that boundary further. 

Adam currently lives and works in London, assisting other artists in the production of their work and continuing his own studio practice.

Exhibitions

2020- Beige curated by Helen Clara Hemsley, Mette Saabye, Copenhagen, Denmark

2019- Brexhibition, Courtyard Galleries, Royal College of Art, London, UK

2019- One Man Band, The Horniman Museum, London, UK

2017- ACC Baltimore, Craft Scotland/ American Craft Council, Baltimore, USA

2016- Hothouse, Craft Council, UK

2016- One, Garnet Collective, The Lighthouse, Glasgow, UK

2016- Elements 2, Lyon and Turnbull/Incorporation of Goldsmiths, Edinburgh, UK

2015- Zero, Garnet Collective Exhibition, Barras Art and Design, Glasgow, UK

2015- Talents 2015, Tendence, Messe Frankfurt, Germany

2015- RE:VALUE/Reciprociti, Saltmarket and Edinburgh College of Art, Royal Bank of Scotland, Edinburgh

2015- Fresh AIR, Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee, UK

2015- One Year On at New Designers, London Exhibition Centre, UK

2015- Fresh AIR, Glasgow School Of Art, UK
 

Contact

Website

Instagram @adamhendersonjewellery

Shopify

Degree Details

School of Arts & Humanities

Jewellery & Metal (MA)

Adam Henderson is a conceptual jeweller/ maker whose work has covered a range of topics from peoples’ dependency on social media, deconstructing the concept of money and questioning gender stereotypes. Rarely inspired by visuals, it is a drive to communicate his musings on his sociocultural surroundings through the physical act of making that keeps his work progressing forward.

Whilst studying at the RCA his work has focused on dismantling social structures through the lens of ‘Ipse Dixit’, a Latin phrase whose definition is “a dogmatic and unproven statement” as well as a study on national identity, specifically looking at patriotism and nationalism.

Since the COVID-19 lockdown, Adam has set up a makeshift studio in his garden shed in London. With his work being strongly studio based and reliant upon experimenting with techniques and specialist equipment, he has necessarily shifted his focus into making secondary supporting structures that help to inform the narrative behind his work. 
 

Ipse Dixit Tableaux 1 — A series of distorted steel I-beams and concrete objects (available as print)

Ipse Dixit I beam 1 — Distorted steel I-beam

Ipse Dixit I beam 2 — Distorted steel I-beam and concrete pillars

Ipse Dixit I beam 3 — Patinated distorted steel I-beam and concrete object

Ipse Dixit I beam 4 — Distorted steel I-beam and concrete pillar

Ipse Dixit I beam 5 — Distorted steel I-beam

Ipse Dixit Royal Warrant Detail — Detail of steel Ipse Dixit Royal Warrant embedded in concrete

IPSE DIXIT: “a dogmatic and unproven statement”
This phrase and its definition have been the basis of my studio practice throughout second year. When googling “it is because I say it is” Ipse Dixit is the first result to appear. Typically used in law, the concept behind this phrase illustrates authoritarian structures and brings to mind political power, arbitrary rules and puts the person on the receiving end of the “it”, in the phrase, in the position of a young child being given into trouble by a parent or teacher. The sentiment behind this phrase seems to be the basis for how most of us learn the rules of the world. It can make you feel helpless and ingrains a subconscious mentality to do what you are told and fall in line.
On the other hand, the phonology of Ipse Dixit recalls a children's Saturday morning TV character; “Mr. Blobby and Ipse Dixit” or “Tinky-Winky, Dipsy, Laa Laa, Ipse Dixit and Po”.
Combining the connotations of the phonological and literal definitions has led me to create a body of work highlighting that those “things” (rules, political systems, capitalism, LGBTQ rights, systemic racism, gender norms, etc.) do not need to be the way that they are simply because our current social structures have made them so or how they reinforce these ideas.
I aimed to create work which demonstrates the absurdity of Ipse Dixit, pairing strong physical objects that could be used to represent authority/control and distorting these objects as an allegory for resistance and the questioning of rules set in front of us. The concept behind my work could address a myriad of issues but I wanted to create objects that illustrate the point I am trying to make in a broader context, allowing the viewer to apply their own context/analysis, with the hope that each person's background will change how they can relate to the topic of questioning authority in their own lives.

Medium:

Mild Steel, Concrete

Size:

Profile of I-beams: 8mm x 10mm
Artart jewelleryConceptualConcretecontemporary jewelleryDesignjewellerymetalMiniatureObjectSculpturewhereistheair?

A Beige Palate — Leather and stainless steel sausage roll brooch

A Beige Palate

A Beige Palate — Leather and stainless steel sausage roll brooch

Created for Beige, an exhibition of contemporary jewellery restricted to a beige palette. Using the wordplay between your food palate and the beige colour palette set for the exhibition, a beige British snack staple, the Greggs’ sausage roll, is recreated in stainless steel and leather.
“I like my jewellery like I like my food, beige.”

Medium:

Leather and Stainless Steel

Size:

55x150x28mm

Ipse Dixit Tableaux 2 — A series of distorted steel I-beams and concrete objects (available as print)

Ipse Dixit I beam 6 and 7 — Distorted steel I-beam and milled steel I-beam

Ipse Dixit I beam 8 — Distorted steel I-beam and concrete pillars

Ipse Dixit I beam 9 — Distorted steel I-beam

Ipse Dixit I beam 10 — Distorted steel I-beam

IPSE DIXIT: “a dogmatic and unproven statement”
This phrase and its definition have been the basis of my studio practice throughout second year. When googling “it is because I say it is” Ipse Dixit is the first result to appear. Typically used in law, the concept behind this phrase illustrates authoritarian structures and brings to mind political power, arbitrary rules and puts the person on the receiving end of the “it”, in the phrase, in the position of a young child being given into trouble by a parent or teacher. The sentiment behind this phrase seems to be the basis for how most of us learn the rules of the world. It can make you feel helpless and ingrains a subconscious mentality to do what you are told and fall in line.
On the other hand, the phonology of Ipse Dixit recalls a children's Saturday morning TV character; “Mr. Blobby and Ipse Dixit” or “Tinky-Winky, Dipsy, Laa Laa, Ipse Dixit and Po”.
Combining the connotations of the phonological and literal definitions has led me to create a body of work highlighting that those “things” (rules, political systems, capitalism, LGBTQ rights, systemic racism, gender norms, etc.) do not need to be the way that they are simply because our current social structures have made them so or how they reinforce these ideas.
I aimed to create work which demonstrates the absurdity of Ipse Dixit, pairing strong physical objects that could be used to represent authority/control and distorting these objects as an allegory for resistance and the questioning of rules set in front of us. The concept behind my work could address a myriad of issues but I wanted to create objects that illustrate the point I am trying to make in a broader context, allowing the viewer to apply their own context/analysis, with the hope that each person's background will change how they can relate to the topic of questioning authority in their own lives.

Medium:

Mild Steel, Concrete

Size:

Profile of I-beams: 8mm x 10mm

ReMemberance Poppy

My altered poppy came about after a visit to Boston, Lincolnshire (the county with the largest vote “Leave” percentage in the EU referendum) on November 1st 2018. Whilst there I began to think about the symbols we use to represent nations. The motifs of the Remembrance Day Poppy and the EU star could be found throughout Boston. I am really interested in how two symbols of unity and peace, whose origins come from war have now been twisted into nationalist symbols. I believe the altered poppy that I made in response to this research effectively conveys my political opinion whilst also challenges the idea of nationalism in the UK.

Medium:

Paper, Plastic

Size:

1:1

Ipse Dixit Tableaux 3 — A series of distorted steel I-beams and concrete objects (available as print)

Ipse Dixit I beam 11 — Distorted steel I-beam and concrete objects

Ipse Dixit I beam 12 — Distorted steel I-beam and concrete objects

Ipse Dixit I beam 11 back — Ipse Dixit steel I-beam brooch back

Ipse Dixit I beam 14 — Distorted steel I-beam

Ipse Dixit I beam 15

IPSE DIXIT: “a dogmatic and unproven statement”
This phrase and its definition have been the basis of my studio practice throughout second year. When googling “it is because I say it is” Ipse Dixit is the first result to appear. Typically used in law, the concept behind this phrase illustrates authoritarian structures and brings to mind political power, arbitrary rules and puts the person on the receiving end of the “it”, in the phrase, in the position of a young child being given into trouble by a parent or teacher. The sentiment behind this phrase seems to be the basis for how most of us learn the rules of the world. It can make you feel helpless and ingrains a subconscious mentality to do what you are told and fall in line.
On the other hand, the phonology of Ipse Dixit recalls a children's Saturday morning TV character; “Mr. Blobby and Ipse Dixit” or “Tinky-Winky, Dipsy, Laa Laa, Ipse Dixit and Po”.
Combining the connotations of the phonological and literal definitions has led me to create a body of work highlighting that those “things” (rules, political systems, capitalism, LGBTQ rights, systemic racism, gender norms, etc.) do not need to be the way that they are simply because our current social structures have made them so or how they reinforce these ideas.
I aimed to create work which demonstrates the absurdity of Ipse Dixit, pairing strong physical objects that could be used to represent authority/control and distorting these objects as an allegory for resistance and the questioning of rules set in front of us. The concept behind my work could address a myriad of issues but I wanted to create objects that illustrate the point I am trying to make in a broader context, allowing the viewer to apply their own context/analysis, with the hope that each person's background will change how they can relate to the topic of questioning authority in their own lives.

Medium:

Mild Steel, Concrete

Size:

Profile of I-beams: 8mm x 10mm

Ipse Dixit Necklace — Distorted steel I-beams with silver links

IPSE DIXIT: “a dogmatic and unproven statement”
This phrase and its definition have been the basis of my studio practice throughout second year. When googling “it is because I say it is” Ipse Dixit is the first result to appear. Typically used in law, the concept behind this phrase illustrates authoritarian structures and brings to mind political power, arbitrary rules and puts the person on the receiving end of the “it”, in the phrase, in the position of a young child being given into trouble by a parent or teacher. The sentiment behind this phrase seems to be the basis for how most of us learn the rules of the world. It can make you feel helpless and ingrains a subconscious mentality to do what you are told and fall in line.
On the other hand, the phonology of Ipse Dixit recalls a children's Saturday morning TV character; “Mr. Blobby and Ipse Dixit” or “Tinky-Winky, Dipsy, Laa Laa, Ipse Dixit and Po”.
Combining the connotations of the phonological and literal definitions has led me to create a body of work highlighting that those “things” (rules, political systems, capitalism, LGBTQ rights, systemic racism, gender norms, etc.) do not need to be the way that they are simply because our current social structures have made them so or how they reinforce these ideas.
I aimed to create work which demonstrates the absurdity of Ipse Dixit, pairing strong physical objects that could be used to represent authority/control and distorting these objects as an allegory for resistance and the questioning of rules set in front of us. The concept behind my work could address a myriad of issues but I wanted to create objects that illustrate the point I am trying to make in a broader context, allowing the viewer to apply their own context/analysis, with the hope that each person's background will change how they can relate to the topic of questioning authority in their own lives.

Medium:

Mild Steel, Silver

Size:

Profile of I-beams: 8mm x 10mm, Chain length: 880mm

Tableaux 4 — A series of distorted steel I-beams and concrete objects (available as print)

Ipse Dixit I beam 16 — Distorted steel I-beam in concrete and concrete pillar

Ipse Dixit I beam 17 — Distorted steel I-beam

Ipse Dixit I beam 18 — Distorted steel I-beam and concrete object

Ipse Dixit I beam 19 — Patinated steel I-beam with silver solder and concrete object

Ipse Dixit 20 — Distorted steel I-beam

IPSE DIXIT: “a dogmatic and unproven statement”
This phrase and its definition have been the basis of my studio practice throughout second year. When googling “it is because I say it is” Ipse Dixit is the first result to appear. Typically used in law, the concept behind this phrase illustrates authoritarian structures and brings to mind political power, arbitrary rules and puts the person on the receiving end of the “it”, in the phrase, in the position of a young child being given into trouble by a parent or teacher. The sentiment behind this phrase seems to be the basis for how most of us learn the rules of the world. It can make you feel helpless and ingrains a subconscious mentality to do what you are told and fall in line.
On the other hand, the phonology of Ipse Dixit recalls a children's Saturday morning TV character; “Mr. Blobby and Ipse Dixit” or “Tinky-Winky, Dipsy, Laa Laa, Ipse Dixit and Po”.
Combining the connotations of the phonological and literal definitions has led me to create a body of work highlighting that those “things” (rules, political systems, capitalism, LGBTQ rights, systemic racism, gender norms, etc.) do not need to be the way that they are simply because our current social structures have made them so or how they reinforce these ideas.
I aimed to create work which demonstrates the absurdity of Ipse Dixit, pairing strong physical objects that could be used to represent authority/control and distorting these objects as an allegory for resistance and the questioning of rules set in front of us. The concept behind my work could address a myriad of issues but I wanted to create objects that illustrate the point I am trying to make in a broader context, allowing the viewer to apply their own context/analysis, with the hope that each person's background will change how they can relate to the topic of questioning authority in their own lives.*

*In light of the recent protest around the world after the murder of George Floyd I feel that in continuing this project I should use it to make bolder statements and address more specific issues in the world which I care about.

Medium:

Mild Steel, Concrete

Size:

Profile of I-beams: 8mm x 10mm

The McGlashan Charitable Trust

The McGlashan Charitable Trust kindly awarded me partial funding for both years of my degree. I am incredibly grateful for these awards and the opportunities they have given me.

Website:

https://mcglashantrust.org/
24 July 2020
14:00 (GMT + 0)
Zoom

Jewellery & Metal Panel Discussion: Social Narratives

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