I'm Emma Lawrence, founder of Spangle Fandango, and I'm based in London in the UK. I studied anthropology and then went on to train as a librarian and then later as a primary school teacher. It was at this stage I felt a hobby was in order. I've always been fascinated by jewellery for as long as I can remember and I'm particularly drawn to beads with all their infinite colours and variety of shape, remembering rummaging in the wonderful bead shops of London as a teenager. They also fascinate me as material culture, having been used as units of exchange for physical commodities and objects of desire. Evidence of their use in adornment by the earliest modern humans marks them as one of the earliest forms of symbolic art.
I use the tiniest of contemporary glass beads as building blocks, weaving them into larger elements to create beaded beads, links or embellishments. Exploring colour combinations to evoke emotions and imaginative responses. Ultimately, I want my pieces to be uplifting, they are intended to bring joy to the wearer.
My self-taught beading skills have been supplemented by wonderful courses both at City Lit and Morley College and my hobby has grown into a business since 2022. I was lucky to be selected to participate in the Goldsmiths Spotlighting Programme in 2023 and their Shine Programme in 2024. I've also exhibited at the Forge Space, At Work Galleries and Future Icons Selects.
I hope to keep exploring this wonderful medium and keep exploring my imagination. Most of all, I hope my jewellery makes you smile.