Current and Past Exhibitions
2025
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V E R D A N T
An exhibition of new work by jeweller Kaoru Rogers & ceramicist Niharika Hukku.
Exhibition work is available to buy ONLINE NOW
18 Wolfe Street, Newcastle – 18 Oct - 02 Nov
Opening event Sat 18th Oct 4pm
An exhibition of new work by jeweller Kaoru Rogers and ceramicist Niharika Hukku.
NIHARIKA HUKKU
Multi disciplinary artist Niharika Hukku currently lives and works in Sydney, Australia.
Starting with an idea Niharika's work is an expression of what she finds elegant and beautiful in her world. Inspiration is seeded in her observations and interactions in nature. Having spent over a decade as an illustrator, Niharika employs those sensibilities into her work which extends into painting, ceramics and installation.
She received a Bachelor of Fine Art (Painting) from the Delhi College of Art, India (2000), and has undertaken studies in ceramics and sculpture in Indonesia, Singapore and Australia. Her work has featured in over 30 solo and group exhibitions in California, Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide and Wellington since 2009 such as Arcadia Contemporary, USA(2019), Mosman Art Prize, Sydney (2017), Sculpture by the Sea, 20th anniversary show, Sydney (2016), and the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts, NZ(2009, 2010), Her work has been a finalist in the 29th Gold Coast International Ceramic Art Award (2014).
KAORU ROGERS
Kaoru Rogers is a Japanese/Australian studio based Jewellery and Object Designer and Maker.
Her specialty is making shapes and forms for the body, which she considers as a blank, moving, evolving canvas. Kaoru’s process is akin to puzzle making – pulling tangential shapes, materials, colours and textures into the right composition; and then considering movement and how forms can sway, flutter, dangle or perch.
After a career in advertising, she completed her Advanced Diploma of Jewellery and Object Design at Design Centre, Enmore (Australia) graduating with distinction. She was a solo exhibition award winner of the prestigious National Contemporary Jewellery Award in 2012.
Born in Japan, but growing up, living and working in many diverse parts of the world, her work is influenced by the beauty and the essence of where she lives; incorporating the new materials she finds, and techniques she explores with makers of each unique region.
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Our Annual Contemporary Jewellery Exhibition returns for 2025
Opening Event FRI 1 Aug from 6pm - 18 Wolfe Street, NEWCASTLE NSW
Exhibition dates - 1 Aug - 15 Aug
Movement is an intrinsic part of jewellery—once placed on the body, it comes alive, responding to every gesture of the wearer. Momentum, this year’s exhibition, explores contemporary jewellery that embraces motion, not only in a physical sense, but as a reflection of emotional shifts and personal transformation.
Through inventive craftsmanship and bold experimentation artists are invited to challenge the boundaries of kinetic jewellery, working with metal, stone, fabric, and other materials to create pieces that shift, spin, sway, and evolve.
Jewellery is never truly still—it moves with us, telling stories in motion. Momentum celebrates this energy, showcasing pieces that are as dynamic as the bodies they adorn.
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Moth and Flea by ANNA VLAHOS
18 Wolfe Street, Newcastle – 25 Feb - 11 Mar
68 Oxford Street, Sydney – 19 Mar - 1 Apr
Mystras is both a beautiful and sad place. For a time it was the cultural capital of Byzantium, yet all who lived there knew their empire was dying. Today it is overgrown, the main residents now are the ants, butterflies, cicadas and bees.
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Exhibitions 2024
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Eyes 14, The Goddess and Her Owl by JULIE SMEROS
An exhibition of porcelain objects and wearables
68 Oxford Street, Sydney – Exhibition 11 Oct - 25 Oct
18 Wolfe Street, Newcastle – Exhibition 8 Nov - 22 Nov
Ta matia sou dekatessera is a Greek phrase that means "eyes fourteen" which translates to pay close attention to your surroundings, being careful and alert. Julie Smeros offers a fresh perspective on Greek cultural heritage through her ceramics and wearable art. The blend of ancient motifs and concepts with modern aesthetics comes from Julie's experience as a first-generation Greek Australian.
This exhibition by Julie Smeros is part of this years Sydney Craft Week Festival. See the interview with Julie on the festival page here.
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Shapeshifters by ARI ATHANS
An exhibition of jewellery and sculpture
18 Wolfe Street, Newcastle – Opening Sat 10 Aug from 6pm
68 Oxford Street, Sydney – Opening Fri 6th Sept from 6pm
Ari Athans is a contemporary jeweller living and working in Brisbane Australia. From her studio in West End Ari creates bespoke pieces as well as an evolving range of contemporary jewels.
Ari works primarily with stone and precious metal with a strong preference for unusual gemstone cuts and raw geologic samples such as basalt, rough diamonds, emerald crystals, natural coral, quartz crystals, serpentine, hematite, black tourmaline and pearls. She sources her stones from around the world and locally through gem fairs and likens this process to fossicking. Her minimalist approach to design enhances the raw geologic samples and gemstones in each piece and reflects randomness and order in crystal growth.
Ari studied geology at the University of Technology, Sydney and worked in the mining and exploration industry. She then went on to study jewellery and object design at Randwick TAFE, Sydney and never looked back. Geology to jewellery was a very natural progression and is almost always the starting point for all projects outside of jewellery. Her practice spans jewellery, painting and sculpture.
Ari’s jewellery has appeared in solo and major group shows in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Edinburgh, London, Munich, Singapore and Tokyo and most notably ‘Australian Freestyle’ at Triennale Museum in Milan. Her work is held in public and private collections. Ari also exhibits her paintings at Edwina Corlette Gallery.
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Artist Lineup 2024
Danielle Barrie Tessa Blazey Leah Butler Patricia Chiuariu
Christine Collins Emily Copp Amanda Croatto Sophie Dohnt
Denise Gu Clare Hooper Anja Jagsch Viktor Kalinowski Eva Kerer
An Morison Radka Passianova Cassandra Prinzi Jaime Pritchard
Barbara Quayle Katie Stormonth Virginia Sprague Milly Thomas
Anna Weber Ann Welton Danni Xu Melinda Young
18 Wolfe Street, Newcastle – Opening FRIDAY 26 July from 6pm
68 Oxford Street, Sydney – Opening FRIDAY 16 August from 6pm
Studio Melt presents a new Annual Contemporary Jewellery Exhibition curated in their Newcastle store this July 2024.
The exhibition gives contemporary jewellers a new opportunity to showcase their practice and respond to this year’s theme of 'What are you trying to say?’- In an age of information overload and exhausted attention spans, sometimes to cut through the white noise you will need something loud, brave and straightforward to communicate your intentions.
Help celebrate the first year of this new annual event on the opening night, friday 26 July at Studio Melt - 18 Wolfe Street, Newcastle The exhibition will then travel to Studio Melt in Sydney, opening night friday 16 September - 68 Oxford Street, Paddington (Sydney)