Francis Kirkham

After training as a teacher of Technology, Francis studied for a Diploma in Jewellery Making with Ian Lawrence (who at the time was Jeweller to Dunhill), at the House of Lawrian in Essex, U.K. He honed his skills as a manufacturing / retailing jeweller for 15 years before emigrating to New Zealand in 2001. There he continues to create one-off and limited editions, commission pieces and a wide range of commercial designs which includes a range of religious (Christian) pieces, focusing particularly on the symbol of the fish. Having trained at 'the bench' he now finds himself drawn to the contemporary side of jewellery design. His current project is the development of a range of woven designs using traditional soft material techniques. He puts emphasis on creating unique designs with clean and simple lines.

Exhibitions of Francis's contemporary work have been shown at the National Whiteboard Exhibition (Wellington, N.Z), Aratoi (Masterton) and as part of the Wairarapa Arts Trail. His work is also on sale in a variety of galleries throughout New Zealand.

View Francis Kirkham's art page