Looking into these small silver and stone brooches is like being faced with craggy mountain ranges where, perhaps, hunters have gone missing. They are the work of Christchurch-based jeweller Jeremy Leeming whose CV includes training with renowned Nelson designer Jens Hansen and exhibiting in collective studio-workshops in London.
For preference, Leeming works with readily available stones like argillite, greywacke and basalt – the stones that line our beaches, rivers and lakes. We might walk over them, or skim some across the water, but for Leeming, there’s always the chance that some will beckon to him with their readiness to be worked into jewellery. Stone-collecting trips are part of Leeming’s work, and this has included the souveniring of cobblestones from streets in Berlin and Prague. Collected and stored, it may take years before Leeming starts work on them.
These two brooches come from a collection themed around the landscape – a southern landscape of chilliness and outcrops. The brooches are built up on backgrounds of brushed and textured silver, and as a mark of authenticity, Leeming has his own hallmark stamped into the silver.
Leeming’s work is represented by the Quoil gallery at 149 Willis Street, Wellington.
