Rachael Colley
Senior Lecturer in Jewellery and Metalwork
- Department of Art and Design
- Art Design and Media 香蕉视频 Centre
- Lab4Living
- Culture and Creativity 香蕉视频 Institute
Summary
Based in Sheffield, the UK’s ‘Steel City’, famed for its metalworking heritage and cutlery industry, I explore its history, thinking through materials and making to create artefacts. Moving between the fields of craft and contemporary visual art, I produce jewellery, tableware and sculpture designed to play with associations and contexts around eating, challenging our collective connections with food.
About
I teach on the MA Jewellery and Metalwork course, leading the 'Critical Making' module, supporting our students to apply a range of research methods, design thinking strategies and to develop a rigorous approach to material experimentation.
I'm a fellow of the Higher Education Academy and gained a postgraduate certificate in higher education. I hold a BA in 3D Design, Silversmithing and Jewellery, from Loughborough University and an MA in Goldsmithing, silversmithing, metalwork and Jewellery from the Royal College Art. I exhibit my work nationally and internationally, with pieces from my 'Sha-green' jewellery series receiving awards in Italy and Japan and joining the permanent collections of the Museum of Arts and Crafts Itami, Archivo Negroni in Milan and Le Arti Orafe in Florence.
In 2021 I was awarded the QEST Howdens Scholarship by the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust and a Career Catalyst Grant from the Goldsmiths’ Centre in London. In the same year, I was selected to participate in the 2-year Freelands Artist Programme residency 'Platform 21' at Site Gallery in Sheffield, which supported me to join the Yorkshire Sculpture International network for 2022 and to gain Arts Council England funding to develop my creative practice throughout 2022-23.
Teaching
College of Social Sciences and Arts
Subject area
Product / Interior / Jewellery / HDA PP
Courses
MA Jewellery and Metalwork
Modules
Critical Making
香蕉视频
- Art and Design 香蕉视频 Centre , Lab4Living
- Culture and Creativity 香蕉视频 Institute
Selected exhibitions 2022-23
2023 Radical Jewelry Makeover, New York Jewelry Week, USA
2023 Heirlooms of the Future II, Mobilia Gallery, Massachusetts, USA
2023 Swords into Ploughshares: Knives into Jewels, a touring exhibition, UK
2023 Watashi wo Yosoou - Beyond the Jewellery, Itami City Museum of Art, History and Culture, Itami, Japan
2023 In the Same Breath, Freelands Foundation, London, UK
2023 COLLECT, Somerset House, London, UK
2022 Itami International Craft Exhibition 'Shuki Shuhaidai', Itami City Museum of Art, History and Culture, Itami, Japan
2022 Craft Sustained, The Hub, Sleaford, UK
2022 New Gestures, Site Gallery, Sheffield, UK
2022 LEATHER : METAL : CLOTH The Art of the Exceptional: A Jubilee Celebration of Makers, Fortnum & Mason, London, UK
2022 Meanings and Messages, Association for Contemporary Jewellery 25 year Anniversary national touring exhibition, Gravesham, Exeter, Birmingham, Swansea, London and Cirencester, UK
2022 Craft of Convalescence, New Brewery Arts, Cirencester, UK
2022 Soft Loop, Site Gallery, Sheffield, UK
Featured research projects
https://rachaelcolleyartist.wordpress.com/
https://www.sitegallery.org/platform-21-rachael-colley/
Publications
Journal articles
Colley, R. (2018). . How Fine a Mess, (6).
Colley, R. (2016). . Feast journal, (1).
Conference papers
Colley, R. (2019). . In Culture Costume and Dress Conference 2019, Birmingham City University, 5 June 2019 - 7 June 2019.
Colley, R. (2018). In Boultwood, A., & Hindle, S. (Eds.) Culture Costume and Dress, Birmingham City University, 10 May 2017 - 12 May 2017 (pp. 177-183). Birmingham: Gold Word Publishing:
Books
Hermon, R., & Daly, E. (Eds.). (2023). UNCHORUS 2023. Freelands Foundation.
Artefacts
Colley, R. (2024). MelonColley. [Jewellery and flatware].
Colley, R. (2023). Ambiguous Artefact Assemblages. [Sculpture].
Colley, R. (2019). . [Eating tools].
Colley, R. (2018). . [Art jewellery].
Colley, R. (2017). . [Art Jewellery].
Colley, R. (2017). . [Art jewellery].
Colley, R. (2017). . [Art jewellery].
Colley, R. (2016). . [Eating tools].
Exhibitions
Kullik, M., & Wijnsma, J. (2019). . [Eating implements]. Vereniging Hendrick de Keyser, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Colley, R., Mansfield, L., & Clooney, N. (2017). . [Visual arts - mixed media]. National touring exhibition, Sheffield, Folkestone, Birmingham and Rochdale.
Colley, R., Mansfield, L., & Clooney, N. (2017). . [Visual arts - mixed media]. National touring exhibition, Sheffield, Folkestone, Birmingham and Rochdale.
Colley, R. (2017). . [Art jewellery]. The Museum of Arts and Crafts Itami.
Colley, R. (2019). . [Art jewellery]. The Museum of Arts and Crafts Itami.
van Kesteren, A.-.K. (2019). . [jewellery]. The Church, Museum Arnhem.
Meany, T., & Steiner, H. (2019). . [Jewellery]. Open Cell, London.
Colley, R. (2019). . [Jewellery]. ACCI Gallery, Berkeley, CA.
Colley, R. (2019). . [jewellery and eating implements]. Sheffield Institute of Arts Gallery, 香蕉视频.
Tuupanen, T. (2018). . [Jewellery]. Imatra Art Museum, Finland.
K臈rien臈, L. (2020). . [Jewellery]. Litexpo exhibition and congress centre, Vilnius, Lithuania.
Colley, R. (2020). . [Jewellery]. Touring exhibition: Inhorgenta (14-17 February 2020), Munich, Germany; Palazzo Coveri Gallery (28 October - 9 November 2020), Florence, Italy; Hannah Gallery (13 January to 3 February 2021), Barcelona, Spain.
Negroni, E. (2018). . [Jewellery]. Touring exhibition: Piacenza and Padua, Italy; Joya, Barcelona, Spain.
Liu, H. (2019). . [Jewellery]. Zhongguancun Fashion Industry Innovation Park, Beijing, China.
Sun, H. (2020). . [Jewellery]. Touring exhibition: Royal Venus Hotel, Kunming, Yunnan; Sanlitun SOHO, Beijing; Beijing Design Week, China.
Liu, H. (2019). . [Jewellery]. Zhongguancun Fashion Industry Innovation Park, Beijing, China.
Colley, R. (2019). . [Jewellery]. ACCI Gallery, Berkeley, CA.
Laughlin, Z., & Worshipful Company of Cutlers, (2016). Cutlery Design Challenge. [Eating tools]. Cutlers鈥 Hall, London.
Speake, L., & Riusech, J. (2020). Precious Places. [Art Jewellery]. Alliages Gallery, Lille, France; Istanbul Jewellery Week, Turkey (online).
Bottomley, S., & Alexander, D. (2019). Handmade by Machines: Seized by the Means of Production. [Art Jewellery]. Vittoria Street Gallery, School of Jewellery, Birmingham City University.
Pina, A. (2019). Tincal Lab Challenge: Jewelry and Anatomy. [Art Jewellery]. Tincal Lab, Porto, Portugal; Romanian Jewellery Week, Bucharest, Romania.
Morawetz, S. (2019). Wearing Change: Not Only Decoration. [Art Jewellery]. Villa Bengel, Idar-Oberstein, Germany.
Speake, L., & Riusech, J. (2019). Precious? Pr茅cieux !? [Art Jewellery]. Column Bakehouse Gallery, Ocean Studios, Plymouth, UK; Alliages, Lille, France.
Gray, A., & Costa, L.M. (2019). Schmuck/Schmock. [Photography of Art Jewellery]. TempContemp gallery, Brunswick, Melbourne, Australia.
Roth, S. (2019). Put it On. [Art Jewellery]. Innere Wiener Stra脽e 24, Munich Jewellery Week, Munich, Germany.
Bottomley, S., & Turrell, E. (2019). FERROcity: A contemporary exhibition of iron in the city. [Art Jewellery]. Museum Reich der Kristalle, Munich, Germany; Birmingham and Glasgow, UK; Beijing, Shanghai, Guanzhou, China.
Chan Yuk, B. (2018). The Five Elements - Journey of Creation. [Art Jewellery]. HKDI Gallery, Hong Kong Design Institute, Hong Kong.
Roth, S., & Collins, S. (2018). Selfie-ism. [Art Jewellery]. Innere Wiener Stra脽e 24, Munich Jewellery Week, Munich, Germany.
Petry, M., & Jablonski, G. (2017). Nature Morte. [Art Jewellery]. Amber Trip 2017, Amber and Jewellery fair, Vilnius, Lithuania.
Colley, R. (2020). . [Jewellery]. Touring exhibition: Inhorgenta (14-17 February 2020), Munich, Germany; Palazzo Coveri Gallery (28 October - 9 November 2020), Florence, Italy; Hannah Gallery (13 January to 3 February 2021), Barcelona, Spain.
Colley, R. (2017). . [Art jewellery]. The Museum of Arts and Crafts Itami.
Colley, R. (2019). . [Art jewellery]. The Museum of Arts and Crafts Itami.
Sule, A., & Haddon, R. (2022). Soft Loop, Platform 21. [sculpture]. Site Gallery, Sheffield.
Hermon, R. (2023). In the Same Breath. [sculpture]. Freelands Foundation, London.
Parsons, G., & Dew, C. (2024). Flora, Fauna & Feasting: Rockingham Pottery Meets Contemporary Craft. [Flatware]. Wentworth Woodhouse, Rotherham.
Paragreen, E., & Irwin, K. (2024). Show Your Metal. [Jewellery and flatware]. Millennium Gallery, Sheffield Museums鈥.
Turzynski, A. (2024). Don鈥檛 Play With Your Food. [Flatware]. Sunny Bank Mills, Leeds.
Siaj, Z. (2024). Sensations. [Jewellery]. Slovenian Jewellery Week, Center Rog, Slovenia.
M谩ty贸k, G. (2024). Personal Narrative Spaces, Inflow: Contemporary Jewelry Exhibition. [Jewellery]. Personal Narrative Spaces, InflowThe Art Mill, Old Art Colony Szentendre and Hybridart Space Gallery, Budapest, Hungary.
Cziko, V. (2024). Romanian Jewelry Week, Assamblage National Jewelry Association. [Jewellery]. 5th Edition held at the National Library of Romania, Bucharest, Romania.
Lucidi, C. (2024). I Paint Flowers so they will not Die. [Jewellery]. Galleria Carlo Lucidi (+ special showcase at Santa Rita da Cascia in Campitelli), Rome, Italy.
Ludavi膷ien臈, J., & Sarnowski, E. (2025). SCHMUCK M眉nchen. [Jewellery]. Internationale Handwerksmesse, Munich, Germany.
Speake, L. (2025). Chaos and Control. [Jewellery]. Munich Jewelry Week, Munich, Germany.
Molloy, C. (2025). Fertile Ground. [Jewellery]. Donner Gallery, Munich, Germany.
Cherry, N., & Alexander, D. (2023). Swords into Ploughshares: Knives into Jewels. [Flatware/knife]. National touring exhibition: Devon, Birmingham, Redcar, Glasgow.
Performances
Colley, R., & Clooney, N. (2017). . 香蕉视频
Colley, R., & Nuala, C. (2016). . Nottingham Contemporary
Colley, R. (2022). New Gestures eating event. Site Gallery Sculpture.
McCrilly, P., Kinoshita, S., & Cox, N. (2023). Sandwich Club 鈥 an eating event. Freelands Foundation, London Sculpture.
Other activities
2021-23 RCA jewellery and metal external examiner
Postgraduate supervision
I supervise and support doctoral research in Jewellery and Metalwork