Peacock vessel - Holding Place

Materials: Titanium, zincalume steel, lampworked glass, oxidised silver
Dimensions: 60mm x 140mm x 140mm

Photo credit: The Artist

Meghan O’Rourke
Adelaide, South Australia. Australia

As a contemporary jeweller and metalsmith Meghan O’Rourke aims to create precious objects for the body that are both playful and ornate.

After several years experience working in the retail jewellery industry, Meghan completed a Bachelor of Visual Arts & Design at ACArts where she specialised in jewellery. She then went on to spend several years as an associate designer and access tenant within the JamFactory’s prominent Metal Design Studio. Meghan has also gained recognition in various fine art awards and international residencies, including winning the National Contemporary Jewellery Award and a 6 week residency working in Delhi, India.

Meghan’s work often combines traditional precious metals with the vivid colour palate of anodised titanium and aluminium. Through exploring this medium she has developed specialised hand dying and texturing techniques to achieve distinctive colour blends and fascinating optical effects. Her refined jewellery often explores the use of patterns derived from the delicate structures found in nature, including foliage and coral. Recently the rich and highly worked anodised surfaces have been complimented by the use of blackened steel and other industrial materials to explore decorative Indian imagery and architectural motifs.


These containers and vessels definitely hold their place in the world of stunning art objects as well as in the world of metalsmithing.

Since the dawn of time humans have created containers to hold things that were important to them, from large vessels to hold food and harvests to intimate containers for small precious things. They might hold memories, ashes, medicine, beverage, fruit or food - but all spring from the imagination and skill of the maker. Some have specific religious functions, some are meant for everyday use. When one thinks of a vessel or container the inclination is to think of something with solid walls - yet many of these works involve the exploration of positive and negative space, and the use of negative space to help create the illusion of the wall of the vessel.

As the world’s largest jewelry related internet site, Ganoksin strives to develop exhibitions showcasing work from around the world. This exhibition was open to all metalsmiths, professional and amateur, advanced and beginner. Participants are from The Netherlands, the USA, Canada, Australia, Costa Rica, the United Kingdom, Israel, Hong Kong, Colombia, Romania, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia and Denmark. While most of the pieces are by an individual metalsmith, some are collaborations, one of three artists spanning 50 years.

In total 319 artists contributed 729 show pieces for the permanent online exhibition.

Objects in the exhibition include boxes, lockets, urns, ash containers, bowls, wine cups, reliquaries, match holders, vases, teapots, pitchers, sugar bowls, baskets, nests, pillboxes, clutches and a range of sculptural forms. A variety of techniques are showcased covering a wide range of metalsmithing techniques. Materials used include everything from gold and silver to less expensive metals. Ornamentation includes the addition of enamel, chasing and repousse’, gemstones and found objects.

The exhibition was curated by Beth Wicker, President of the North Carolina Society of Goldsmiths in the United States, and Adjunct Instructor at Northeastern Technical College in South Carolina. Director of the exhibition is Hanuman Aspler, founder of The Ganoksin Project, the world’s largest internet jewelry site.