PRESS RELEASE: September, 2014
DESIGNS FOR SUCCESS AT PRESTIGIOUS GOLDSMITHS' FAIR 2014
Please follow links in Editor's Notes to download full-sized images
Excitement is building for the launch of the next Goldsmiths' Fair which takes place at Goldsmiths' Hall, London from 22nd September to 5th October, 2014. Now in its 31st year, this event has gained international recognition as the UK's premier event for showcasing work by independent contemporary designers of silverware and jewellery, and always attracts top end collectors.
Silversmith Ben Ryan is delighted to have been invited to exhibit at this prestigious event, explaining that: "It's a real accolade as competition is extremely fierce. This year the Goldsmiths' Fair received 350 applications and out of these only 170 were accepted."
Amongst many other products from his collection that will be on display, Ben is choosing the fair to launch his snowflake-themed stainless steel and sterling silver spinning tops which comprise a mixture of citrine, smoky quartz and white topaz settings at the heart of the design. At £75 each, these are ideal for Christmas decorations, innovative presents or unusual table gifts. Ben's spinning tops each utilise a stainless steel running spike and were inspired by his acclaimed Olympic Fruit Bowl. The Bowl was on display in the V&A for six months, as part of their British Design Season (British Design 1948-2012: Innovation In The Modern Age). Some weeks later the piece was sold to collector Peter Ratcliffe for £9,500.00 on Channel Four's 'Four Rooms' collectables TV programme.The bowl was set with 205 stainless steel running spikes to represent the exact number of nations that competed in the London 2012 Olympic Games. Each spike was topped with either citrine, white topaz or smoky quartz stones to represent the gold, silver and bronze awards in the games.
Ben will also be showcasing other new products at The Goldsmiths' Fair, including handcrafted silver bowls and salt and pepper pinch pots. The design of these has been inspired by his spectacular award winning gold gilt, sterling silver and diamond set ‘Luxus' Salt & Pepper Grinders, which were recently exhibited in Christie's ‘Contemporary Silver Selling Exhibition.
Ben is currently working from his studio in the Goldsmiths Centre in Clerkenwell, London. He has won a number of awards including the prestigious Young Designer Silversmith of the Year award 2010 for his Mytilidae dish, an elegant centre-piece for serving mussels, which is on permanent display at the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff. His most recent success has come through winning a number of awards at the Goldsmiths' ‘Craftsmanship and Designs Awards'. As well as commendations for design, craftsmanship, and technological innovation, Ben has also won the prestigious ‘Gil Packard Bursary', an award given to a post graduate who is demonstrating exceptional promise in their chosen field of either silversmithing or jewellery.
If you are interested in seeing Ben and his work, he will be exhibiting in week one of this year's Goldsmiths' Fair (Monday 22ndSeptember - Sunday 28thSeptember2014).
For further information please visitwww.BenjaminJamesRyan.comor contact Ben personally on +44 (0) 7970 22 77 15 or emailBen.Ryan@BJRdesigns.com
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For press enquiries please email Anne Pincombe at pincombe@clara.co.uk
Note to editors: For further information about the Goldsmiths' Fair please visit www.goldsmithsfair.co.uk. The fair runs from Monday 22nd to Sunday, 28th September and from Tuesday, 30thOctober to Sunday, 5th October and is open from 11am to 7pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 6pm Saturday and Sunday.
Image captions:
BJR Spinning Tops:Ben is choosing the fair to launch his snowflake-themed stainless steel and sterling silver spinning tops which comprise a mixture of citrine, smoky quartz and white topaz settings at the heart of the design
BJR spinning tops
BJR Olympic Bowl: The spinning tops were inspired by Ben's Olympic Bowl which recently sold for £9,500 on Channel Four's ‘Four Rooms' collectables programme
BJR Olympic Bowl
BJR Luxus Salt and Pepper: Ben's Luxus Salt and pepper grinders were recently featuredin Christie's ‘Contemporary Silver Selling Exhibition'.
BJR salt and pepper grinders
BJR at work: Silversmith Ben Ryan at work
BJR at work