Queensland College of Art graduate Andy Lowrie has been selected to exhibit his latest collection of jewellery in Rome – part of an international exhibition showcasing the best young talent from around the world.

‘7 Artists 7 Days’ will take place at the myday-byday gallery space in Rome from5 – 16 June.

Andy graduated from the Bachelor of Fine Art (Honours) in 2011, and is now based in the US. His bold designs, featuring unusual materials and forms, have won him an international following.

“I’ve been really fortunate in recent years to have my work shown in Australia, North America and China,” he said.

“The exhibition with myday-byday will be the first time my pieces have been shown in Europe, which is a real hub of activity for art jewellery.

“I’m looking forward to sharing my work with an audience of people who will likely have a keen and critical eye.”

QCA senior lecturer Elizabeth Shaw

QCA senior lecturer Elizabeth Shaw was invited to nominate a graduate for the show, and said Andy was her first choice.

“Andy is a really exciting artist – his work pushes the envelope and it’s remarkable to see a young designer producing such strong work.

“We keep a close eye on our students’ careers after they graduate, and I have been really impressed by Andy’s recent collections.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for him to introduce his work to a whole new audience.”

Andy said his time at the QCA had provided him with the foundation to forge a successful international career.

“I had the benefit of being taught by Liz Shaw and Catherine Large at QCA and they really helped me to see art jewellery as a very social medium, one that works in a gallery and on a body,” he said.

“They encouraged me and my peers to build our own community and get involved in projects that would help us learn skills to support our careers as artists.

“I built the foundation of my career while I studied at QCA without even realising it and it’s a touchstone for me to this day.

“It prepared me for making connections with people around the world and gave me the confidence to share my work.”

Andy uses a range of experimental techniques to craft striking pieces out of metal and wood. His work draws inspiration from the natural world, and rejects “that notion that jewellery has to be shiny and new.

“I’ve always been interested in the surfaces of objects and materials,” he said.

“The marks that collect on the surface of objects we use motivate me to explore my own ways of working with materials.

“I’ve been painting, enamelling, scratching and, most recently, drawing on objects that I fabricate in metal and wood.

“My work rejects the value we often place on the shiny and new, but it also creates a surface that I think of as being sympathetic to the bodies my objects will adorn.

“Our bodies are a canvas that is constantly changing, showing signs of age and bearing marks of our existence and I want my wearable work to acknowledge that.”

Andy is one of a new wave of art jewellers who create beautiful objects that are equally at home in a gallery, or adorning the body.

“I think art jewellery sometimes catches gallery goers off-guard, but our audience is very devoted and shows a great deal of respect,” he said.

“But for anyone that wants to build their own collection, art jewellery is fun and easy to collect. The works always fits in a shoe box!”