Can you please tell us a little about who you are, where you live, and what you do?

I’m a maker, living at Muriwai beach on the West coast of Auckland running a business making rings. I didn’t grow up at the beach. I was born in the French countryside to a Swiss mother and Kiwi father and grew up in Blenheim. I’ve been doing beach life since 2021 which came around by having a boyfriend who surfs, me having recently discovered and enjoying Auckland and finding the right place for us both. You’d have a hard time convincing me away from coastal living now… I’m pretty lucky to have been able to work towards growing a business that allows me to live and work where i do, making rings which go on to be treasured.

How does where you live shape your creative process?

It’s the small things in life I enjoy and rejoice in, like a hot shower outdoors under the starry sky. It’s the way the sun makes the dune grass look silver in certain light, the wind lifting the top layer of loose sand, the distant croaking of the frogs, the cicadas, the birds, each in their own season acting as soundtracks to the day. It’s all these small moments, ones that are recurring, as well as the single events which I try to remain present and observant of and I take this through into my making with an appreciation of the small details that remind us of a living world, constantly evolving and our memories that capture each moment.  As with my rings, it’s the subtle quirks and irregularities which come together, creating a piece that goes on to live on your hand, collecting memories and evolving with time.

Do you have a favourite place where you feel most creatively reset or inspired? Maybe somewhere you go when you need perspective or space to think.

For me it’s anywhere peaceful with full sun on my face. I bask hard in the sun. If I can find a quiet, comfortable spot anywhere in full sunshine I’m in a great thinking space. The surf also definitely acts like this place, although it’s not one I can choose to have whenever I desire it. Taking the time to chase a wave somewhere other than home can often feel too self indulgent although, it’s often an event after which I do return feeling reset, or inspired by interactions with time to think and I always come out feeling positive and productive.

Do you have any studio rituals or habits that help you settle into making mode?

I do need to set myself up for getting into that mode and with emails and admin on my mind, I never get deep into that making, so a clearing of the email slate is always a start and.. a fed belly. I can go on working without eating, but when I decide I need to sit down for a making session, eating suddenly becomes very important. Maybe it's that I don't want to be interrupted and these making sessions are when I can get into a flow state, where I’m just absorbed in my making.

Your work feels very tactile and considered - almost like each piece carries its own quiet story. What usually sparks the beginning of a new collection or design?

I’m a maker and someone who likes to make with my hands. So, that’s a key driver behind my making, I play with my hands as tools and form little sculptures. Sometimes I will have an idea of what I would like the piece to look like and work towards that, although I am forever embracing the happenstance, the moments where the making takes an unexpected turn and the idea evolves with it. From a break, or an accident or something too hot or too cold (wax can be very reactive and dependent on heat and warmth, this drives the making.

Jewellery often becomes part of someone’s daily ritual. Are there any personal objects or pieces you wear every day that hold meaning for you?

My emerald ring. My dad bought the emerald and it was in effect a loan, i was to make something with it, sell it and pay him back. I held onto the emerald for years, making  a few different waxes for it over that time, some that made it into metal, but never more- until the wax that did make it into sterling silver and now houses my emerald. I was so reluctant to part with it… and in hindsight was lucky not to have the clientele for a big fat emerald at the time, so it became payment for a ring I made for my mother from my father and I wear it every day, always. Cleaning, surfing, gardening- i freak out when i realise its not on my finger which only happens in studio when im trying other rings on. And my Drip Cuff- times two-  which I wear doubled up because I like the quiet clink of the two hitting and these are a reminder that I make first and foremost for myself. I have to like what I make, and I would wear each and every one of my pieces.

Do you think there’s something powerful about creating objects designed to last,  especially in a culture that moves so quickly?

Yes, and i do cherish that fact. They’re made to last by design and by nature- what they mean to each person in the moment. While we may evolve, we still hold onto moments and when a ring tells that story its there to last, whether on your finger or not. I am also very aware of expectations around rings in contrast to the rapid, active fast-paced lifestyle we modern creatures live. We are much harder wearing on our hands than those who historically had the luxury of wearing fine jewellery, sipping tea, so while these pieces are made to be worn and enjoyed, I do encourage wearers to be conscious of their expectations and hand habits, remembering that however durable, a ring is not indestructible.

What does slowing down mean to you personally?

Staying off devices. Sad that devices are at the forefront of my mind with that question. I think any moment in which I am not on, or beholden to my device I am able to go back to a time where I would just sit and think and watch and reflect. Evening of reflection rather than distraction and I am trying. It’s going back to noticing all those little subtleties in the world at any given time around us, and acknowledging them, questioning them and feeling them. Van life and camping are great for this type of slowing down.

What advice would you give to someone trying to reconnect with creativity or live a little more intentionally?

Time away from your creative practice is not lost time. It’s often in those moments that you find or encounter something that goes on to be absorbed within your creative practice. Stop focussing so much on the act, but rather look around and explore the surroundings which are the backdrop for the act.

What’s bringing you joy lately - inside or outside the studio?

My very hot nighttime outdoor showers. Again, it’s the small things in life for me. Oh, and then getting into the fluffiest night gown and putting my feet up- preferably with my boyfriend cooking dinner- I get so much joy from this current seasonal routine. And a long peeling wave. The sun on my face with nowhere else to be. Nice and surprising emails or messages from customers about my work. It's so special and very gratifying to receive, which is something as a maker we often need just to keep on doing what we do and remind ourselves of the joy.