Creative People

'Australis' By Abby Seymour

Australia’s rugged landscape and unique botany has long been a source of inspiration for creatives.

Acknowledging a yearning for connection to the land, designer Abby Seymour seeks to honour Australian nature in her latest collection of delicate jewellery, Australis.

Written
by
Sally Tabart

Left: Ammonite Amulet Necklace in sterling silver. Right: Gumnut Cluster Hoops. Photo – Sean Fennessy. Styling and Creative Director – Stephanie Stamatis. Art Direction and Design – Beth Gregory. Hair and Makeup – Nadine Muller. Model – Phoebe Collier.

Left: Silver Gum Threader. Right: Peak Bangle. Photo – Sean Fennessy. Styling and Creative Director – Stephanie Stamatis. Art Direction and Design – Beth Gregory. Hair and Makeup – Nadine Muller. Model – Phoebe Collier.

Left: Dual Ammonite Studs. Right: Ammonite Sleepers. Photo – Sean Fennessy. Styling and Creative Director – Stephanie Stamatis. Art Direction and Design – Beth Gregory. Hair and Makeup – Nadine Muller. Model – Phoebe Collier.

Dual Ammonite Studs. Photo – Sean Fennessy. Styling and Creative Director – Stephanie Stamatis. Art Direction and Design – Beth Gregory. Hair and Makeup – Nadine Muller. Model – Phoebe Collier.

Australis by Abby Seymour. Photo – Sean Fennessy. Styling and Creative Director – Stephanie Stamatis. Art Direction and Design – Beth Gregory. Hair and Makeup – Nadine Muller. Model – Phoebe Collier.

Writer
Sally Tabart
9th of October 2018

For jeweller and designer Abby Seymour, creating a collection of jewellery inspired by the Australian landscape has been a long time coming. ‘I remember going on bush walks as a child with my father, who has always been a stereotypical reclusive artist that has found respite in the more remote areas of Victoria and Tasmania,’ explains Abby. Her earliest childhood memories recount experiences of Australian flora, ‘the stillness, the earthy smells, the wealth of different textures, details, growth, beauty in the bush, the opportunity for adventure and discovery.’ Coming from a ‘very creative’ family, Abby has a deep understanding of the natural environment she grew up in.

Based out of a sunny workshop and showroom in Brunswick, the self-taught jeweller created the new Australis collection to ‘honour both the land and the life it nurtures.’ Avoiding the ‘Australiana Gumnut baby’ trope, Abby brings her signature thoughtful, delicate and impeccably detailed style to this new range of fine jewellery, taking on Australian botanical forms in brass, sterling silver and 9K gold. Comprising earrings, rings, necklaces and bracelets, Australis celebrates the rich and timeless ecology of this land, capturing the ‘shapes, light, movement and ever-evolving forms of Australia’s natural contradictions’.

Working with a wide array of materials and processes, the artist and designer generally starts by collecting and arranging specimens, and compiling of comprehensive folder of ideas, references and drawings, often taking months before she’s ready to create anything! ‘Bringing my ideas from conception through to its physicality with my very own hands is definitely the most rewarding part of what I do’ Abby tells of her process.

Australis is now available to purchase online at abbyseymour.com. You can catch Abby at the first anniversary of the new Craft Victoria space on November 15th, as well as The Big Design Market in Melbourne from November 30th – December 2nd. 

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