Stephanie O'Leary Jewellery

Drawn to the simplicity and elegance of clean lines in architectural design, Stephanie O’Leary is influenced by geometric structures which jut-out, protrude or extend from the existing ‘frame’ of their environment. Specifically scaffolding, cranes and power lines.

Scaffolding: “a temporary structure used to support the construction, maintenance and repair of buildings”.

What some may perceive as a temporary ugliness protruding out of the natural urban environment; she is drawn to its linear design, the contrast between permanence and degradation, and the transient nature of its construction.

Formed from various different components, scaffolding can be assembled in various different ways to integrate with and support a building; the structure can be assembled, disassembled, relocated and assembled again. In this sense, over time, the structure is in a constant state of flux, moving around the city.

By focussing on this dynamic, O’Leary uses universal hinges and industrial materials to create kinetic urban structures, which mimic the minimalist and fragmented aesthetic of London.

​In combination with found objects, industrial and precious materials, O’Leary forms connections and links between discarded objects, material connotations and their environment in relation to urban cityscapes.