I make and write about objects shaped by folklore, ritual, myth, material practice, and the stories carried through handmade things. My work moves between jewellery, wood carving, folk art, research, teaching, and commissioned pieces, with a particular interest in objects that sit between the practical, the symbolic, and the magical.
As a maker, I’m drawn to materials, traditions, and images that carry meaning beyond their surface: carved figures, amulets, masks, ritual objects, jewellery, folk customs, and the quiet power of things made by hand. I’m interested in how objects gather meaning through use, belief, story, touch, and time. Research often leads me towards making, and making often leads me back into research; each process informs the other, shaping a practice rooted in curiosity, material knowledge, and imagination.
As a maker, I’m drawn to materials, traditions, and images that carry meaning beyond their surface: carved figures, amulets, masks, ritual objects, jewellery, folk customs, and the quiet power of things made by hand. I’m interested in how objects gather meaning through use, belief, story, touch, and time. Research often leads me towards making, and making often leads me back into research; each process informs the other, shaping a practice rooted in curiosity, material knowledge, and imagination.
Sea Horse Necklace in silver, 18ct gold, pearl.
All items © Marti Dean. All rights reserved