Shannon McShane

…inspired by the sea…

Shannon is a goldsmith based in County Down, Ireland. Since graduating from the University of Ulster, Belfast in 2011, she has set up her own studio and business. Shannon creates conceptual pieces for exhibition, ready to wear ranges and bespoke commissions.

Shannon's inspiration is drawn from the coast surrounding where she grew up. Deriving strong influence from the stunning rugged textures and tones of nature. Combining various techniques with precious metals and stones to create unique pieces of jewellery for men and women.

Shannon’s collections are derived from her artistic practice as follows…

‘Within my practice I explore the notion of preciousness through the combination of precious metal and the ritual of collecting abandoned objects from along the shore surrounding where I live, mainly pieces of glass and shards of ceramics. These are manmade objects that have been discarded into the sea either by an unfortunate shipwreck or carelessly disposing of our unwanted items. 

My intention is to re-integrate these delicate fragments into everyday life after their abandonment at sea, to repurpose them. Using a combination of jewellery and silversmithing techniques, these forgotten fragments combined with their individual protective vessels become precious wearable forms.

These silver vessels echo the tones and textures of the shoreline contrasting the lighter tones of the ceramics and glass fragments.  The vessels emphasis my exploration of preciousness by housing the broken fragments inside. By protecting the fragments, a stronger connection is made to the piece creating a sense that this broken shard has value.

We ourselves hold on to such treasures from our meanderings along the shore. They bare the tales of who we were with and what we did that day. The tactileness of these irregularly shaped, softened fragments help to evoke our memories. Keep the shard safe in the vessel or take it out to share your stories, keeping them alive.