Pop into Tessa Metcalfe’s world this summer

Award-winning jewellery designer Tessa Metcalfe and acclaimed bricolage artist Mark Oliver Adams will be collaborating for the first time by showcasing their collection in East London in a pop-up launch. From 27^th June til 3^rd July at Boxpark you will be able to enter the strange and eerie world of Tessa’s fine jewellery.

Tessa’s work is certainly unique. Having made the transition to jewellery from taxidermy, this Hackney born designer uses the feet of roadkill pigeons showing the fantasy London underworld.

Her pieces are definitely admired by many and even adorned by celebrities such as America’s Next Top model stylist Tamra Natisin, Skrillex, artist of the moment Sirah and lead singer of The King Blues, Itch. 

Tessa spent a great deal of her childhood watching pigeons and developed a deep fascination for the birds. The majority of her subjects are donated by her Father, Hugh Metcalfe, and consist of roadkill and animals that have met their end at the paws of other wildlife.

It all began in 2008 when Tessa began experimenting with taxidermy in her bedroom. A desire to never let anything go to waste led to late night sessions cleaning and casting birds’ feet.

Tessa explains, “The biggest epiphanies in my life came during the stories of Leda and the Swan as well as Hans Christian Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling. I believe in both myths and legends and through my jewellery I want to combine the two, creating a little dream to carry with you.”

Her 2012 Homage collection celebrates ‘finding beauty in the gutter’. Inspired by the City of London, the foot of a pigeon is altered into a talisman of fine jewellery. With additional experimentation and trial and error, Tessa has taken the concept further into a complete collection of timeless pieces playing on the fantasy underworld of her hometown.

The London pigeons’ feet are cast in silver before having their nails gold plated by hand. This detailing that Tessa has mastered has made her an established artist today. Just goes to show you how from one field of expertise you can cross over into another.

Pooja Sahny

 At: Boxpark Shoreditch – Unit 8, 2-4 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6GY