Contemporary British Silversmiths, the leading organisation dedicated to contemporary silver in the United Kingdom, is delighted to present A Thirst for Silver at Craft NI Gallery, Belfast! The exhibition opens on Late Night Art Belfast Thursday 3rd September at 6pm and runs until Saturday 31st October.

A Thirst for Silver showcases the work of more than fifty members of Contemporary British Silversmiths, spanning generations and stages of practice — from recent graduates and emerging makers to internationally recognised master silversmiths. 

The focus of the exhibition is a single form: the silver beaker.  Each maker has interpreted the silver beaker in their own distinctive way, and the  resulting collection reveals an extraordinary range of approaches, from traditional techniques and meticulous craftsmanship to contemporary experimentation and highly individual artistic expression.

The silver beaker has a rich association with ceremony and ritual. Vessels for drinking have long played a role in shared toasts, celebrations, significant occasions and enduring traditions. In A Thirst for Silver, this familiar object becomes a starting point for exploring the relationship between maker, material, object and user.

The works reveal the  transformative potential of silversmithing: the ability to take a precious material and, through skill, imagination and craftsmanship, create an object that is not only beautiful but also capable of carrying meaning, memory and connection.

The exhibition coincides with the organisation’s 30th Annual General Meeting at the Ulster Museum and shines a light on the organisation’s ongoing role in supporting and celebrating the evolving practice of silversmithing in the UK.