‘Jeweller to the lost’ sparkles at GOMA
A jeweller for five decades, Brisbane artist Barbara Heath invites children to explore the artform through drawing, hands-on activities and and digital play in her Children’s Art Centre exhibition, Hidden Jewels.
Young audiences can now enjoy Hidden Jewels, a free exhibition developed by leading Queensland jeweller Barbara Heath in collaboration with the Children’s Art Centre at Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA).
Based in Brisbane, Barbara Heath has honed her artistry and craft in metal and gemstones across a five-decade long career. Central to her practice is collaboration with clients to make unique pieces that tell their own stories.
Barbara calls herself “Jeweller to the Lost”, an allusion to the journey undertaken by the maker and the wearer to find the perfect jewel. She is interested in the “jewel” in its broadest sense – whether a precious or semi-precious gemstone, a button or a found object. Its significance is in its personal meaning and the stories it can hold and communicate.
Born in Sydney in 1954, after finishing school Heath studied gold and silversmithing at Melbourne’s RMIT then worked as an apprentice in the studio of Melbourne jeweller Laszlo Puzsar. She then travelled to the US to study contemporary jewellery at Parsons School of Design in New York, from 1970 to 1972.
In 1983 Heath established her Brisbane studio and developed the ©Bh range of jewellery. In 1990 she developed commissioned and bespoke studio Jeweller to the Lost, then in 1997 began creating large-scale sculptural work while continuing to develop her private jewellery commissions.
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Heath’s private and public commissions adorn both individuals and buildings. While she works closely with architects and designers to create objects to embellish public buildings and spaces, in her studio she uses medieval techniques and age-old materials to make precious objects for private clients.
In her commission work, which is central to Heath’s practice, she documents a personal history for an important cross section of the Brisbane and wider community, resulting in works that are markers for occasions of significance, of gain, loss, achievement and attainment.
One such commission, the Gallery Medal, which is presented each year to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to QAGOMA, was designed by Heath in 2014.
“This exciting new project introduces young visitors to Barbara Heath’s ideas through an interactive video set in the artist’s studio and imaginative hands-on making and interactive digital activities that allow children to create their own jewels and explore the process of design,” says QAGOMA director Chris Saines.
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“In the Children’s Art Centre at GOMA until July 25, 2027, the exhibition also displays an eclectic assortment of Heath’s jewellery as well as objects from her home and studio such as gemstones, cameos and small sculptures that provide further insight into her working environment and inspiration.
“From January to October 2027, the gallery also presents a touring version of the exhibition, Barbara Heath: Hidden Jewels Pop-Up, at more than 200 regional and remote galleries, community centres and schools throughout Queensland.”
QAGOMA head of public engagement Tamsin Cull says Barbara Heath’s Hidden Jewels includes Love Tokens, a drawing activity that invites participants to design a small object representing themselves to then gift to a friend or family member.
“Love tokens are small objects — such as engraved coins or pieces of jewellery — that one person gives to another to encourage their loved one to think of them with affection,” explains Cull.
“This activity is inspired by Heath’s Love token series, 1987-91, which included several doll-like sculptures made from an assortment of materials such as semi-precious stones, tortoiseshell combs and a boar’s tooth.
“Paper Chains is another making activity inspired by Heath’s signature multi-link necklaces and bracelets. Audiences are invited to create a wearable necklace or bracelet using paper strips and collage elements.
“Visitors to the exhibition can also participate in Make Your Own Story, a communal activity featuring a shared set of storytelling cards that feature images referencing Heath’s artworks and objects from her studio, as well as children’s drawings. The set of cards can be arranged and rearranged to create an imaginative narrative.
“Digital Cameo, explores the form of the cameo, a jeweller’s motif that through history has depicted a raised carving of a design (such as a person, animal or scene), usually created from materials such as agate, onyx or shell. In this activity visitors can see their profile image transformed into a digital cameo design,” adds Cull.
Over the course of her career Heath has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions. Her work is held in collections including Ipswich Regional Gallery; State Library of Queensland; Art Gallery of Western Australia; Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum; The Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston; and Griffith University Art Collection, Brisbane.
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