Grae Burnished

Grae Burnished is an emerging Melbourne-based artist and contemporary jeweller. She creates playfully weird works that experiment with traditional jewellery materials, such as silver and gold, alongside re-purposed materials unconventionally seen in jewellery. Formerly a special effects makeup artist, Grae's redirects unusual materials into art an art and object-based context.

Grae, your work is very distinctive in its texture, colour and form, and in your words “playful and weird”! We love it. Can you tell us a little about yourself and how your practice came about?

I kind of fell into contemporary jewellery when I went to an open day at RMIT and I become obsessed. But it wasn’t until I was in my third year of uni studying contemporary jewellery when I made a neckpiece out of a hot pink balaclava. I came to the realization that contemporary jewellery was a super versatile art practice, which works really well for me. I think from that point on my artistic development skyrocketed; I stopped comparing my work to others, I explored and experimented with all sorts of materials, and I even played around with different art practises. When you’re willing to learn and experiment in your art, I think that’s where the biggest break throughs come from and not taking yourself too seriously. Some of my best work started because I made something that made me, or my friends laugh.

You’ve described your work as a rebellion. How do you think your work challenges social norms?

I think it’s most evident in the materials I use and how they are a juxtaposition of each other. The very classic and traditional pearl that have been used for years in jewellery and is rich with story, lore and deeply imbedded in history. Is then drenched and cocooned in a material that is relatively modern and had an almost alien or futuristic feel to it. I was aiming to dismantle the older traditions and notion of the pearl earring or necklace and make it something I or my friends would want to wear.

We are excited about your upcoming Makers in Residence as part of Craft Contemporary. You plan to experiment with a wide variety of materials but will focus on liquid silicone. Can you tell us more in detail about this material, and the pieces you intend to create?

The silicone I use is something I used as a Special Effects Makeup Artist to create moulds for prosthetic pieces. I had so much of it in my old kit that one day I decided to experiment with it during a residency I was doing with RMIT. I have boxes of old test pieces and prototype earrings before I perfected the technique I use now. I was fascinated with the versatility of the silicone depending on how long you would let it cure or how you apply it. The main pieces I make with the silicone are pearl earrings and necklaces. I love the juxtaposition that these two materials offer one another, the very historically classic material of the pearl has been seen in jewellery for years and year and silicone is a relatively new material, almost a science fiction kind of feel to it. These two materials couldn’t be more opposite and yet I have been able to create something I am very proud of.

In response to COVID-19, a lot of people have re-evaluated the way they work, what impact has the pandemic had on your practice? Were they positive or negative? Have you adopted any new skills or techniques that you otherwise may not have?

I have been experimenting a lot with digital collage art and made a complete tarot deck during the first big lockdown in Melbourne when I couldn’t access my studio. But my biggest impact on my practice was accessing the materials I use for my commercial or commission work. Ordering things online is fine when I’ve used the material before, like the silicone or pigments I use, but I like to look at touch the pearls and beads I use. It’s just not the same when ordering online, I can’t shift through every strand and find the best and weirdest looking batch.

We are always curious about where makers and artists find inspiration. What are some of the unexpected places you draw inspiration from?

I cherry pick from all over, I don’t like to limit myself when it comes to inspiration. My main inspirations, for my Ectoplasmic collection would be mysticism and science fiction that was first sparked from my thesis I wrote for my honours and evolved from there.

Any underrepresented artist we should be looking at right now?

Well I was just in a group show recently, with tempcontemp, and really loved the artists Tingyu Zheng and Kamile Staneliene. But I’m also obsessed with a wearable art/sculpture named Giacomo Bevanati and another artist named Ksenia Shinkovskaya who makes these little creature-like sculptures that remind me of Pan Labyrinth. I could go on forever!!

Thank you for your time Grae! We look forward to closely following the development of your practice, including your upcoming Makers in Residence as part of Craft Contemporary.

Interview by Eloise Sim, Curatorial and Programs Assistant.