Kate Bajic

British jeweller Kate Bajic has over 20 years’ experience exhibiting her work in galleries and at exhibitions throughout the UK, Europe and the USA. She lives and works in a village in the Midlands, using the countryside around her as inspiration for her beautiful contemporary jewellery. Drawing on a lifelong interest in the natural world Kate focuses on lichen as her main inspiration. There are over 1,800 different species in the UK alone, offering an extensive resource. Through photography and sample collection, Kate examines their minute complexity, translating aspects into her jewellery using traditional hand fabrication techniques. These include hand piercing complex shapes and hand texturing silver and gold using a variety of different metal punches and hammers. This gentle and involved approach allows slight imperfections created during the making process to bring a richness to her jewellery: something Kate celebrates, and hopes brings a vibrancy and ‘life’ to her work. Pieces are handcrafted in sterling silver and gold and are often paired with unusual semi-precious stones or lustrous baroque pearls. Kate has recently begun to incorporate striking dendritic agate stones, their naturally occurring patterns and colours partner her lichen forms perfectly. Designs evolve through experimenting with layering and composition and playing with contrasting colours and forms. Kate creates her jewellery as limited edition or one-off pieces designed to complement each other whilst still being unique and individual. They offer a tribute to the beauty and preciousness of the exquisite micro botanical forms that inspired them.
Further information can be found at www.katebajic.co.uk
Further information can be found at www.katebajic.co.uk
Mad About Jewelry, Museum of Arts and Design, New York, 4th - 8th May 2024
New Maker Showcase, CAA Gallery, London, 7th - 18th November 2023
Goldsmiths' Fair, Week 1, Goldsmiths' Hall, London, 25th September - 1st October 2023
Summer showcase, Bircham Gallery, Holt, Norfolk, 24th June - 19th July 2023
Summer showcase, Studio Vault, Settle, Yorkshire, 17th May - 17th August 2023
Uncommon Beauty, Craft in the Bay, Cardiff, April 1st - May 29th 2023
Translating Nature, Design Nation Nottingham group exhibition, The Hub, Sleaford, March 18th - April 30th 2023
Bejewelled Beasties, Gill Wing Jewellery, Islington, London, March-April 2023
Messages and Meanings, ACJ 25th anniversary Touring exhibition, 30th April 2022 - 18th June 2023
New Maker Showcase, CAA Gallery, London, 7th - 18th November 2023
Goldsmiths' Fair, Week 1, Goldsmiths' Hall, London, 25th September - 1st October 2023
Summer showcase, Bircham Gallery, Holt, Norfolk, 24th June - 19th July 2023
Summer showcase, Studio Vault, Settle, Yorkshire, 17th May - 17th August 2023
Uncommon Beauty, Craft in the Bay, Cardiff, April 1st - May 29th 2023
Translating Nature, Design Nation Nottingham group exhibition, The Hub, Sleaford, March 18th - April 30th 2023
Bejewelled Beasties, Gill Wing Jewellery, Islington, London, March-April 2023
Messages and Meanings, ACJ 25th anniversary Touring exhibition, 30th April 2022 - 18th June 2023
Discovering jewellery design as a career was a revelation. It all began with an informal silver jewellery workshop, where I found my passion for working with metals and crafting by hand. This came at a crucial point in my life when I sought change and fresh challenges. I decided to pursue a new career as a jeweller and retrained, first through an Art Foundation Course, then a Bachelor of Arts in silversmithing/jewellery, and eventually a Masters, culminating in two decades of being a studio jeweller with national and international recognition.
Rooted in my career's beginnings, I hold a strong affinity for traditional craftsmanship and hand skills. These elements define my creative practice. My work is deeply influenced by nature's forms, particularly lichens, which I photograph and draw when out in the rural landscape around my Leicestershire studio. Beyond their aesthetic appeal, I am also interested in their ecological role and chemical composition, integrating their scientific significance into my designs.
My creative process begins with looking through design sheets of lichen forms and patterns, built up over the years from photographs and drawings of lichens in situ. I trace these elements onto paper and play around with working them into different compositions; once I am happy with the overall form, I transfer the individual sections as templates onto silver sheet ready for piercing. I spend a lot of time hand piercing out lichen forms which I find very therapeutic and mindful. I fall into a rhythm, almost like I’m drawing with the blade, and when I layer up lots of these elements together the overall effect is very satisfying. I have recently begun to add unique gemstones into my designs and am enjoying the different aspect these add to my work. I use a variety of materials in my designs depending on the type of collection I’m creating. My main love is precious metals, silver and gold, simply because they are so beautiful to work with, but sometimes a design demands different qualities or finishes and then I look at other options such as thin steel sheet which is incredibly strong and can be hand sawn and heat treated, or base metals such as brass or copper which can be patinated or sprayed in layered colours with acrylic paints. Depending on the piece and my final vision for it I relish experimenting with materials, forms and colours. My jewellery is intuitive and sculptural in nature, with most pieces being either one off or limited edition. Because of this they are designed to sit together and complement each other whilst still being unique and individual.
Rooted in my career's beginnings, I hold a strong affinity for traditional craftsmanship and hand skills. These elements define my creative practice. My work is deeply influenced by nature's forms, particularly lichens, which I photograph and draw when out in the rural landscape around my Leicestershire studio. Beyond their aesthetic appeal, I am also interested in their ecological role and chemical composition, integrating their scientific significance into my designs.
My creative process begins with looking through design sheets of lichen forms and patterns, built up over the years from photographs and drawings of lichens in situ. I trace these elements onto paper and play around with working them into different compositions; once I am happy with the overall form, I transfer the individual sections as templates onto silver sheet ready for piercing. I spend a lot of time hand piercing out lichen forms which I find very therapeutic and mindful. I fall into a rhythm, almost like I’m drawing with the blade, and when I layer up lots of these elements together the overall effect is very satisfying. I have recently begun to add unique gemstones into my designs and am enjoying the different aspect these add to my work. I use a variety of materials in my designs depending on the type of collection I’m creating. My main love is precious metals, silver and gold, simply because they are so beautiful to work with, but sometimes a design demands different qualities or finishes and then I look at other options such as thin steel sheet which is incredibly strong and can be hand sawn and heat treated, or base metals such as brass or copper which can be patinated or sprayed in layered colours with acrylic paints. Depending on the piece and my final vision for it I relish experimenting with materials, forms and colours. My jewellery is intuitive and sculptural in nature, with most pieces being either one off or limited edition. Because of this they are designed to sit together and complement each other whilst still being unique and individual.

Dendrite ring, sterling silver, dendritic agate,2023

Caperata earrings, sterling silver, cultured river pearls, 2023

Ramalina cuff, sterling silver, 18ct gold, 2023