Rachel McKnight
Rachel McKnight graduated from the University of Ulster in 2003 and established her business in 2004. Rachel’s quirky and innovative creations in plastics and rubber have won her much acclaim including 1st prize in the jewellery at the RDS National Craft Awards in 2005.
Rachel’s jewellery comprises necklaces, bangles, earrings and rings to form quirky creations in plastics and rubber. She also creates beautiful pieces for the home.
“The excitement of sourcing new materials and the experimentation with them inspires me to produce original and innovative jewellery. Plastics interest me because of their many manufacturing possibilities and multitude of colours. The idea of transparency and opaque colour influences my designs, and plastics allow me to explore this."
Rachel was awareded a place on Craft NI's making it 05 programme at Newry Institute of Further & Higher Education. She sells her work throughout NI, ROI, Scotland, England, Wales and USA and her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and is available in UK and US retail outlets.
Materials Used:
Professional Experience
2011 ‘Seoid’ Pieces of Eight, Melbourne, Australia
2011 ‘Seoid’ Studio 20/17, Sydney, Australia
2011 ‘Solo Show’ Galerie Caractere, Neuchatel, Switzerland
2011 ‘Ornament’ Rua Red, Dublin, Ireland
2011 ‘Valentine’ Space Craft, Belfast
2010 ‘Material Poetry’ Irish American Society, New York
2010 ‘Quartet’ Space Craft, Belfast, Northern Ireland
2010 ‘Embracing Technology’ National Craft Gallery, Kilkenny, Ireland
2010 Design Shop, Royal Exchange, Manchester
2009 ‘Rememberrings: 1 Year On’ Galerie Beeld & Aambeeld, Enscede, The Netherlands
2009 ‘Designers and Makers 2009’, FE McWilliam Gallery, Banbridge
2008 ‘Rememberrings’ Galerie Beeld & Aambeeld, Enscede, the Netherlands
2008 ‘50 Rings’ Spacecraft, Belfast
2008 ‘Image of Longing’ National Craft Gallery, Kilkenny
2008 ‘Whispers’ Royal Birmingham Society of Arts, England
2008 ‘Going Green’ Space Craft, Belfast and Dundalk Arts Centre
2007 ‘Made’ Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Yorkshire, England
2007 County Down Crafts Annual Exhibition, Space Craft, Belfast
2007 ‘Embrace’ Da Capo Goldsmiths, Dublin
2007 ‘Ecology, Mythology, Technology’, National Craft Gallery, Kilkenny
2007 ‘Emerge and Infuse’, Spacecraft, Belfast
2006 ‘Adorn’ Da Capo Goldsmiths, Dublin
2005 ‘Christmas Presence’, Down Arts Centre, Downpatrick
2005 ‘Inspired By…..’ CDC Exhibition, Island Arts Centre, Lisburn
2005/06 ‘PIECE’, Craftmark Exhibition
2005/08 RDS National Crafts Competition Winner’s Exhibition
2009 Creative Industries Innovation Fund, Arts Council of Northern Ireland
2006 Making It , Crafts NI/Arts Council of Northern Ireland
2006 “Export Funding Grant”, Craigavon and Armagh Rural Development/Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
2006 Selected for Portfolio, Crafts Council of Ireland
2005 1st Place in Category Jewellery (Alternative Materials), Royal Dublin Society, National Crafts Competition
Winter 2007 ‘Jewellery’s New Wave’, Irish Arts Review
Nov/Dec, 2007, ‘Origin, The London Craft Fair’, Stopress
June& Nov, 2007, Lurgan Mail
Nov, 2007, ‘Bright Sparks’, Newsletter
Contact Details
23 Belvedere Manor
Belfast
County Antrim
Northern Ireland
BT9 6FT
