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Material Matters
Candy Matterson Silversmith and Jewellery maker is continually enhanced by the intrinsic value of silver, it's malleability, tactility, colour and the endless possibility of form and finish. Stitched Textile Artist Terry Donaldson works with earth pigments collected from Devon and Dorset coastlines creating unique and highly skilled pieces of textile art. Lois Bellew uses mainly salvaged materials collected from her day to day activity. Using her stitched textile background and intensive unmaking and re purposing processes she believes that selected materials have reuse value taking a circular economy approach.
May 2026
Silversmith and Jewellery Maker
Candy Matterson
Candida is a silversmith and jewellery maker whose work is predominantly sculptural.
She has investigated themes in which a physical touch creates movement inspiring a moment of mental contemplation or a stroke allows sensual enjoyment of texture. Motivated by the unique deterioration of the female frame she has created sculptural work in silver and copper both as acceptance and expression of that journey.
While she has worked and taught in a wide variety of media over her lifetime silver is her abiding passion. It’s malleability, tactility, colour, the endless possibility of form and finish, along with its intrinsic value have continued to entrance her.
I am a stitched textile artist working with earth pigments, many locally gathered from the Dorset and Devon coasts, and hand processed.
My focus is on the tension between the needs of people and natural processes which has led to us becoming disconnected from nature. Through my work I try to depict the beauty of the natural environment, to help people notice details in the landscape and invite them to engage more deeply with it and with associated issues.
STRAI(GH)TENED: This series examines the fragility of river ecosystems and the ways human activity has reshaped, controlled and damaged them. Rivers sustain both nature and society, yet they face growing pressure from pollution, development and changing land-use. In England, fewer than 15% are in good ecological health.
Recent public attention has focused on untreated sewage discharges, exposing failures in infrastructure, regulation and long-term planning. However, river decline reflects a broader history of human intervention, including agricultural runoff, industry, urban expansion, road building, flood management and recreational use. These cumulative decisions have altered river landscapes and the delicate ecological balance they depend on.
Through this work I want to draw attention to the vulnerability of river systems and encourage reflection on our collective relationship with them. Addressing their decline requires not only accountability from water companies and regulators, but also a wider societal shift in how land, water and natural environments are valued and managed
As an artist using stitched techniques and found materials, my work explores sustainability and environmental awareness.
I collect discarded items, dismantling and reshaping them into meaningful objects. In this exhibition I am transforming salvaged materials into singular creations.
The use of 24carat gold leaf references Kintsugi, the Japanese art of embracing flaws, symbolising resilience and beauty in imperfection.
Through my practice I consider the fragility of life and our connection to the planet, encouraging a deeper appreciation for both the materials we discard and the world we inhabit.
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