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Designer Profiles
Charmian Harris was born in Bath, Somerset in 1953 and spent much of her early childhood in Nigeria, returning to England aged 9 when her family settled in Cambridge. She trained initially in ceramics at Cambridge School of Art, later specializing in ceramics at the West Surrey School of Art, Farnham under Henry Hammond and Paul Barron, During this period Charmian took part in jewellery classes with Jacqueline Mina. After leaving Farnham she went to work in Devon with Clive Bowen at Shebbear Pottery where she helped to build his large wood fired kiln and where she met her future husband Nick Chapman who also came to work there. With two small children to look after, Charmian's ceramic production declined and gradually her interest in metalwork took hold, using techniques that are largely self taught, always simple, giving importance to design, colour and texture of the materials. Her work is made using different carats and colours of gold, silver and semiprecious stones. The metal is always fused before use, giving a texture and softness that she enjoys. She uses charcoal blocks to cast the shanks of rings and to make solid gold and silver beads which she uses as components in necklaces. Charmian uses hand tools and very simple equipment. Each piece is individually made. Decoration is cut out of metal sheets with a piercing saw and soldered on to the background which she sometimes oxidizes for contrast. When necessary she cuts and shapes her own stones using a diamond saw and carborundum wheels. Her stones come from all over the world. She sometimes travels to choose them herself, and often buys them from collectors and dealers. Her influences include: |
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