An Island of Light1- 30 September 2026
Anna Davern
©Fred Kroh
Anna Davern
©Fred Kroh
Anna Davern
©Fred Kroh
Anna Davern
©Fred Kroh
Anna Davern
©Fred Kroh
Anna Davern
©Fred Kroh

Anna Davern

Jewellery maker

Melbourne, Australia

Witty adornments on tin

  • Anna's jewellery combines British and Australian references
  • Melbourne's jewellery making community plays an important role in her practice
  • Her creative process is guided by a respect for her materials

Anna Davern makes genre-bending jewellery that incorporates found objects iconic to Australian culture, such as cut-outs from biscuit tins and precious metals. Born in Melbourne, she moved to Sydney at age eight, where she later completed her undergraduate degree at the Sydney College of the Arts. "What drew me back to Melbourne in the late 1990s was its community of jewellers," Anna says. "There are hubs of shared studio spaces around the famed Nicholas Building where artists, jewellery makers, writers and designers have always gathered to create." From her studio, she crafts witty and joyful pieces that comment on the preciousness of jewellery, her British migrant heritage, and her Australian identity.

Anna Davern is a master artisan: she began her career in 1995 and she started teaching in 2005.

INTERVIEW

I first used biscuit tins in an early exhibition and thought, 'I will play around with these'. Australian biscuit tins show native plants and animals or landscapes. English tins show buildings and people. When I cut out a kangaroo shape from a tin for the first time, I fell in love with the material.

I am drawn to things with a past that already carry marks. This is why I love biscuit tins: they have had a life before the new one I will give them. When one of my creations comes back for repair, I try to leave its scars. They serve as reminders of the story the jewellery piece has lived.

Early lessons are valuable experiences: apply for every group show you find. You learn how exhibit, track deadlines and handle rejection. Showing your work next to painters and ceramic artists brings you broader exposure to the art world.

A well-made object respects its material. Even though I have developed my technical skills and precision over the years, the materials sometimes pushes back and says, 'Do not do that to me'. It is important to listen to the medium.

Anna Davern

Jewellery maker

Melbourne, Australia

ADDRESS

37 Swanston St, 3000, Melbourne, Australia

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AVAILABILITY

By appointment only

LANGUAGES

English

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