Creative Thursday - Leah Black

First up for our new weekly look at Southside Creatives is Cessnock based jeweller Leah Black whose jewellery and silversmithing work has been exhibited throughout the UK at venues including The Saatchi Gallery, The National Museum of Scotland, The Kelvingrove, The Hunterian and with Dazzle in the National Theatre.

What is your discipline?

Primarily I work as jeweller, but also work in exhibitions, curating and teaching. I design and make jewellery. In February this year I launched a new custom made silhouette jewellery website called Strike Your Pose – I offer a custom made jewellery service through my website www.strikeyourpose.co.uk allowing customers to upload a pose onto the website and to order a unique piece of silhouette jewellery made from their uploaded pose. All the jewellery is handmade from precious metals or brass, and I offer a selection of types of jewel – pin badges, brooches or pendants.

What is your background?

I graduated from Glasgow School of Art 3 years ago and began exhibiting my jewellery as Leah Black around the UK,  I also have silversmithing works in The Kelvingrove and the Hunterian in Glasgow. In 2009 I set up The Gin Palace with my two business partners Ruth Black and Greg Reid and in 2009 and 2010 organised, curated and hosted two pop-up design exhibitions showcasing and selling the work of Scottish based designers.

What is your favourite piece of work?
It changes so frequently due to the hugely varied selection of poses customers submit to me each week. Currently my favourite is ‘the thinker’.

Whats next?
I launched Strike Your Pose in March this year in Princes Square in Glasgow, and next on the agenda is a London launch during the Design Festival in the autumn. In the nearer future my jewellery is going to be on show in a Royal Wedding themed jewellery exhibition at a design shop, Gill Wing in London, from the end of April.

Top tip?
It’s taken me a while to realise this, but I wish I’d known when starting out that it’s ok to say no sometimes, I think we all have a tendency to take on too much at times.

Design inspiration?
Design*Sponge for DIY home decor and furniture inspiration, & Droog Design for smart simple Dutch design at it’s very best.

Favourite place/ space in the Southside?
There’s a gem of a deli in Cessnock called Cherry & Heather, and the Walled Garden at the House for an Art Lover in Bellahouston Park is beautiful on a summery day.

Name another Southside creative whose work you admire?
I’m going to pick two. Alison Macleod – a fellow jeweller, and Charlotte Lawson of Lotte & Bloom - florist

If money was no option what would you change about the Southside?
I’m planning to be moving further south in the not too distant future and I’d love it if the underground went there too!

Tell us one other interesting fact about you?
I spent a glorious nine months travelling around Europe in a very old VW campervan!

Links
Leah Black
Strike your pose