Andy Lowrie (he/him) is a jewellery artist who makes sculptural and wearable objects, works on paper, and paint-based installations. He is an Australian maker, living and working in the United States. Andy pursues contemporary expressions of jewellery making that challenge and reflect his life and experiences. The potential of process and material as metaphor is a touchstone of his practice. Recently, this has incorporated both the sonic and repetitive experiences of labor. His work has been exhibited in Australia, China, Europe, and North America, and has been professionally recognized with awards from Brooklyn Metal Works in New York and My-Day By-Day Gallery in Rome. He is currently a Teaching Fellow at the Baltimore Jewelry Center in Maryland. 

Leaf Demon
Sterling silver
5H x 5W inches
6.5H x 5.25W inches (neckpiece)
2400.

In my work for Tender Presence, I returned to a series of work I have been making since 2014 that I group under the name, Sentinels & Spectres. This body of work taps into the function of jewelry to bestow protection, ward off ill, and enact self-realization for the wearer. The talisman, amulet, charm and ex-voto exist within this function. Into each object, I place visual references to the natural, man-made, and digital realms, allowing the fear of and desire for both to be equally present. As jewelry objects for contemporary society, I want them to embody a theatrical too-much-ness; a mysterious allure; a soft presence with a hard edge. 

gallery@penland.org   |   828.765.6211   |   Tuesday – Saturday  11:00 PM – 5:00 PM