About Hendrike Barz-Meltzer
Hendrike Barz-Meltzer is a German-born jewellery designer-maker and tutor who has lived and studied in the UK since the early 1990s.
Her work is shaped by her curiosity about the making process, a continuing desire to learn as well as her fascination with patterns. Wishing to introducing non-jewellery materials and techniques into jewellery, she has, in the past, used materials such as hand-made Kumihimo silk braids and recycled plastics in her pieces. Her work now focuses on creating gold patterns on silver backgrounds and she uses a number of techniques to achieve this, including the Korean Keum-Boo technique, 18ct gold overlay and gold granulation.
Intrigued by the stories and making process of ancient artefacts, Hendrike has used these as starting points for her recent collections. She often travels to visit archaeological sites or museums and her photographs and research shape her design journey, from initial sketch to finished piece.
Whilst each collection has its own theme, all pieces have a unifying aesthetic, perhaps described as linear or subtly understated.
Hendrike believes passionately in the value and appeal of the hand-made and, to avoid over-production, keeps the production limited, focussing on small collections and one-off pieces.
Environmental sustainability and an ethical working practice are paramount considerations in her practice and constitute an on-going process of reflection and improvement. These principles guide her selection of materials, chemicals and working practices. As such she uses, for example, recycled silver, 18ct Single Mine Origin (SMO) gold, as well as recycled 24ct gold foil in her pieces.
Her work can be found in galleries, such as Contemporary Applied Arts, London, Bircham Gallery, Holt, Norfolk, selected annual UK craft fairs or exhibitions and her own online shop.
Hendrike gained her BA(Hons) degree in Jewellery Design from Central St. Martins College of Art & Design, London. She also holds an MA in Modern History as well as an MA in Human Rights.
Hendrike works and lives in Hertfordshire, and she is also engaged as a jewellery tutor in different settings.