Style Birmingham

Dazzling designs by some of the world’s best contemporary jewellery artists will take centre stage at this year’s Brilliantly Birmingham, the annual celebration of contemporary jewellery.

Running from November 21 until February 28 and marking its tenth anniversary this year, there will be two exhibitions at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery and a Retrospective featuring seven designers whose work has headlined previous festivals.

Among this showing their creations is this year’s profile designer Mikaela Lyons, whose own surreal illustrations inspired by old travel photographs are digitally manipulated to form the base for a number of colourful body adornment pieces and smaller scale jewellery. They are mounted onto oxidised copper settings and covered in laser cut acrylic to create fashionable, high impact and theatrical pieces.

“I was really surprised and so excited to have been chosen as the profile designer in Brilliantly Birmingham’s tenth year,” explains the freelance designer. “As a student I was always inspired by the nature of the work on show at past exhibitions and to have my work included in this special year on all of the anniversary posters and brochures is a real honour”.

Brilliantly Birmingham was first launched in 1999 when a group of local creatives gathered together to promote themselves and their work. Today, the event has grown into an international contemporary jewellery festival attracting exhibitors from around the world.  
 
The festival has its roots in Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter – a designated conservation area which employs around 4,000 people and is home to more than 80 contemporary designers, not to mention historic firms that have been trading for hundreds of years.

Leader of Birmingham City Council, Mike Whitby, added: “Wherever you are in the world, you will be likely to find a piece of jewellery, silver or metal ware that was made in Birmingham – from Royal regalia to ecclesiastical silver and gold as well as the most stunning contemporary jewellery.

“Brilliantly Birmingham encapsulates the rich heritage of the city’s jewellery quarter and helps nurture its new and emerging talent. In ten years the festival’s reputation has grown amongst the international design community and it is encouraging to see the level of engagement that it now receives from all over the world”.