An Inspired Chat with Eliza Evans

Eliza Evans shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Good morning Eliza, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Lately, I have been making a conscious effort to savour small moments being present.

Today, that meant taking the long way round when running errands to wander through meandering tree-lined path instead of taking the straight grey pavement; yesterday, it was sitting and sipping a herbal tea in silence without distractions; tomorrow it could be acknowledging an image or painting uninterrupted for a few minutes. They are so simple they seem almost unremarkable – but it is the dedication of these moments which brings joy in small, yet remarkable, ways among the chaos of everyday life.

I’ve experienced several changes recently – moving houses, cities, work, social groups and just about everything else. These small moments of quiet have provided the respite needed to weather any changes and transitions, enabling me to recharge and roll with the punches.

It is also in these moments that the best ideas come into fruition. So often, we try to fill the silence with noise or music, the empty calendar with plans, the blank space with colour. Being able to pause in stillness lets our body breathe and mind wander, noticing how the little things can be the most remarkable of all.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a self-taught jeweller, craftsperson and facilitator whose work is inspired by training in sculpture and ceramics, Bachelor’s degree in Classics, and South East Asian heritage. I have founded and run my contemporary jewellery business, studio sol jewellery, for several years making bespoke and ready-to-wear jewellery in recycled silver and gold, and facilitating a range of silversmithing and wax-carving workshops.

Increasingly, my practice has become more process-driven and interdisciplinary. In reality, this looks like being more experimental with the techniques I use in silversmithing and being guided by the process of crafting rather than the outcome itself, whilst marrying the physical jewellery with other intangible art forms such as movement and photography. My recent project, ‘Ideas of Imperfection’, saw collaboration with two photographers and a dancer, as well as written/spoken word and an artist book created. There is still more I’d like to do with the project itself, but it has also sparked several new project concepts for me, ranging from research-informed making to more socially-engaged practices.

Having recently moved to London and taken up a new job in a contemporary gallery, I have chosen to pause my work in a studio setting until I have settled and scoped out the creative landscape here. Yet, rather than feeling hindered without a studio space right now, I am seeing this as an opportunity to work on a creative practice across other art forms – how can I still engage in a craft practice without actually carrying out the act of making jewellery? I am looking forward to seeing the results.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
Perhaps this is more a case of the environment I’m in rather than a part of myself per se, but as I mentioned, I’ve embraced changes in almost every aspect of life over the past month.

I stayed in the city in which I went to university for several years after graduating – building up a business, jewellery practice, career, relationships and lifestyle that I was happy with and proud of. Everything fit together, felt harmonious, in its place. Whilst I felt content, satisfied and incredibly grateful for these things, there was also the growing sense of discomfort that comes with being so comfortable – the risk of becoming stagnant.

I realised that in order to grow, this sense of comfort must be released. It goes without saying that the connections and friendships, knowledge and experiences are things I will be sure to nurture, but I realised that I had to release the routines and places and spaces I was used to.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
In terms of my work as a jeweller, I’ve lost count of the number of times I almost gave up! The past few years have been difficult for small businesses and artists – myself included. Material costs have increased significantly and customers have far less buying power, which isn’t exactly the best combination for a successful jewellery business. However, I learnt to diversify my practice and my output through expanding to offer group/community wax workshops and building upon my bespoke workshop offer.

In hindsight, this was the best thing that could have happened. Not only did this help me keep afloat as a business owner but really reminded me WHY I love making jewellery and facilitating workshops. Sharing my craft with people who had never before made jewellery and witnessing them creating something new and personal with passion and pride reminded me of how much joy crafting can bring, and how personal jewellery can be.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. How do you differentiate between fads and real foundational shifts?
Today’s society, particularly from a social and consumer point of view, is driven by fads and thrives on the commercialisation of trends. Although this is true for so many aspects of life – from politics down to what we eat – it is something I see as an artist and maker in terms of fashion and consumer trends.

While platforms like TikTok can be great for platforming different voices or artists, they also give way to crazes and micro-trends, leading to a huge surge in overconsumption and a sense that we must always keep up with ever-changing trends at record speed. As a designer-maker and artist, there is often pressure to keep up with such trends, which is to the detriment of both the quality of output and integrity of the work. I think in order to challenge this from a designer-maker or artistic perspective, we need to detach from these trends – not necessarily by cutting off engagement with social media or consumers – but to identify trends, realising that jumping onto them will inevitably be short-lived and detract from what we wan to achieve as artists in the long term.

Differentiating between fads and real foundational shifts, then, is only possible when we take the long view. In a cycle of micro-trends, how much really changes in the long run? Does the shift have real impact that will make lasting change? Do these changes respond to challenges in a sustainable way? If we want to create lasting impact as artists, for our work to remain relevant, we need to detach from hyper-consumerist cycles and create something that is real to us – that stands the test of time and still holds meaning away from trends or social media.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
Well, that’s food for thought! If I knew I had only ten years left, I would stop waiting for permission – from myself or others – to start new things.

I think often, as creatives, we put off starting new projects or avoid putting ourselves or our ideas out there because we feel a need to have all the facts lined up, loose ends tied or external validation to know that what we’re doing is ‘ready’ to be shared with audiences – whether that’s online or in physical spaces like exhibitions.

I know I myself am very much guilty of this; waiting until I have every facet of a project prepared or every item in a collection ready before I release it, or hesitating to apply for opportunities because I’m not sure if I am ready or good enough. And in this, I would try to see any setback or criticism not as a failure but as an experience to learn and grow. Often, it’s the story and the messiness and the journey of getting there that is the most valuable and what others truly connect with.

Perhaps, then, we should reflect not just on what we ‘would’ do if we had such limited time left, but also on what we would stop doing. Perhaps then there would be less of a sense of urgency or fear of missing out, and more of a focus on what we can keep in our current lives to get to where we want; an appreciation of what we have but also a wisdom of what is hindering us.

So I suppose this is a call to action: what are you doing right now that is hindering you from being where you want to be, sharing the creative projects you want to share? Don’t wait for permission and don’t wait til the time is right – do it, learn as you go, and don’t look back.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://studiosoljewellery.com/
• Instagram: @studiosoljewellery
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eliza-evans-b4a477186/

Image Credits
Declan Creffield

Mahshid Alavi

Ellis Price-Murrell