Nicola Knackstredt

My work explores the materiality of fine silver sheet metal, which is highly malleable. I refine this metal through a rolling down process, pushing the metal to its limits. The result is a thin, delicate material that I can manipulate in the same way as a stiff fabric. With this process, I mimic in metal the movement and folds of fabric. All of my work is handmade, and no two pieces are the same. 

Nicola is an emerging contemporary jeweller who studied Jewellery and Object at the Australian National University, where she received the Boronia Prize for Excellence in Gold and Silversmithing in the first year of her studies. 

In 2022, Nicola was a finalist in both Profile: Contemporary Jewellery and Object Award, presented by the Jewellery and Metalsmiths Group of Australia–NSW Inc. and the Australian Design Centre, and the National Contemporary Jewellery Award.

Nicola's prior professional experience as a human rights lawyer has helped shape her practice and her business—Nicola sources her materials from an Australian company reputed for their sustainable and ethical production methods.

Nicola’s work is made by hand in her studio at M16 Artspace in Canberra, where she also sits on the Board.