My home and studio are nestled in a rural valley on the outskirts of Whanganui, Aotearoa - New Zealand.

Home is shared with husband Matt Higgs, two teenage sons, two cats, a dog, and the wildlife that surrounds us.

I've been making art ever since I can remember. Exhibiting on a regular basis since graduating from Art School in the mid 1990's, and working full-time on my art and jewellery practice since 2014.

These days my focus is jewellery.

The majority of my work is made from vintage silverware, deconstructed, beaten and riveted. Transforming old silver into contemporary jewellery. I use recycled and natural materials, and am interested in the meaning that different materials convey.
It's important to me that my finished work shows traces of construction, hammer marks, how the elements are bound together, signs of the maker, evidence of the handmade.

My work draws inspiration from nature and is concerned with the preservation of it. It celebrates the beauty of our natural world and hopefully serves as a reminder of what we have to lose if we do not protect it.

Birds and winged animals appear as signposts, guardians, messengers. They fly the crack between worlds, weaving ancient myth and folklore with our present day. 

No two works are the same, and each has a story to tell.



Thanks for visiting,
Nga mihi nui,
Emma x