Paul Edie
Munich
I’m a Scottish artist working in the field of jewellery and body-related objects. Currently based in Munich, Germany.

My first profession was translation after taking a degree in Russian and Spanish, and having lived in Russia, Spain and Lithuania. This site is dedicated to my second career choice: contemporary jewellery.

The main force in my work is my personal relationship with taboos and morals. I believe this to be a reaction against conventions which were layered on top of my thinking, from my own familial space, education and society. These include sexual, ethical, moral thresholds, and those based on social class and how one looks, acts and speaks. I refer to the history of the crafted object, but incorporate stories from contemporary society and include humour as a tool of humanisation, to build community and poke fun subversively at established power structures.

Taboos and conventions exist also in the field of craft: conventional jewellery must be precious, shiny, not too big, even better with a stone. Contemporary jewellery eschews such rules, but falls within other ones: the brooch reigns supreme, it must be well made, photos must be taken on a white background; makers of contemporary craft also tend to stick to one material, style or formula. I too work within these constraints, but I attempt to show that there is a reality beyond them.