185549 Educators providing Courses

Kelvin J Birk

kelvin j birk

London

Kelvin J. Birk produces jewellery as well as larger objects, mainly in silver and gold with all types of gemstones. Within his work he crushes precious gemstones and glues them back together, sometimes in a random uncontrolled shape, other times in a more controlled manner and then combines these stones with jewellery pieces or objects in precious metal. Within his work he is consciously disregarding what is traditionally considered precious. Birk revels in a lack of control, allows chaos to take over and the nature of the precious materials to dictate the final outcome of the pieces. His collection is constantly developing and through different creative processes new pieces emerge all the time, ensuring that no two are identical. Like the experiences of personal life, there is always destruction and loss yet out of these processes come new things and new orders. Kelvin J. Birk’s jewellery illustrates this theme of chaos and re-creation. There is always order in chaos, we lose things and we gain things. It is a constant. After Graduating in Goldsmithing and jewellery making at the Berufsfachschule fuer Glas und Schmuck, Germany, Kelvin J. Birk took his MA in Silversmithing and Jewellery (awarded with distinction) from the Sir John Cass Faculty of Art in London, UK (1997). Kelvin exhibited at various fairs and exhibitions in Great Britain, Europe, the USA, China and Taiwan. His work won him several prizes and awards and he received several grants from different funding bodies. His work has been featured in numerous magazines, newspapers and in a range of jewellery and design books. Kelvin is available for consultations and happy to discuss special commissions and bespoke pieces. He became a specialist in up-cycling old jewellery, where he recycles your unworn jewellery into a stunning new wearable piece of jewellery.