“It’s important to me to highlight that wearing contemporary handmade jewellery allows a connection to individuals and the handmade in a local community. I understand the connection and meaning that a handcrafted and unique piece of jewellery can embody and enjoy sharing the process of making unique commissioned work. ” – Bridget.
Bridget Kennedy is an Australian contemporary artist currently living and working in Sydney. With a background in painting and contemporary jewellery, more recent projects have explored participatory installations and the viewer as participant to activate the artwork. Other projects incorporating community activation continue an ongoing enquiry into environmental fragility, materiality, impermanence, choice, value and exchange.
Bridget’s formative years of early childhood were spent in Fiji and the South Pacific. With cultural ties to the Philippines through her life partner, these influences and exchanges have informed her practice.
Bridget began her art studies in 1983 at City Art Institute, University of NSW (majoring in Painting). Circumstances resulted in a diversion to a corporate career before making the switch in 2003 back to pursuing her art practice full time. From 2003-2005 she undertook studies in an Advanced Diploma in Jewellery and Object Design at the Design Centre Enmore and was the inaugural recipient of the Jewellery and Object Design Award (a one year full time residency). Bridget also holds a Trade Certificate in Jewellery Manufacture and in 2008 co-founded Studio 20/17, a contemporary jewellery gallery and workshop based in Waterloo, Sydney. For a number of years she was an active committee member of the Jewellers and Metalsmiths Group of Australia NSW, holding various roles of treasurer and secretary, and in 2015, exhibitions and events co-ordinator of the 2015 JMGA conference held at Sydney College of the Arts. Kennedy has participated in numerous exhibitions, both nationally and internationally (Thailand, New Zealand, USA, and Japan) and in 2010 was a resident artist at Bundenon and, more recently at Hill End, NSW. In 2015 she completed a coursework Masters in Studio Art at Sydney College of the Arts, University of Sydney. She is currently the director of Studio 20/17 Project Space, located in North Sydney and is a founding member of The Repair Cafe Sydney North where items such as clothing, jewellery, furniture, shoes & small appliances are repaired for free and kept out of landfill with the help of volunteers.
