Inspiration
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Claire’s innovative gilded vessels are inspired by the rich textures, colours and sculpted shapes of eroded natural forms: fragments of sea-worn shells, the rock formations of a battered coastline, a curl of split bark. She also draws inspiration directly from the characteristics of the medium, and relishes the natural qualities of metal.
Materials
The fusion of reclaimed and precious metals in Claire’s vessels is highly unusual and gives a mysterious and exotic character to the work. Discarded metal containers are plucked from obscurity and transformed. Claire works each piece entirely with hand tools, using heat, chasing and gilding techniques and often pushes the metal to the limit of workability to achieve the organic qualities she seeks. Each vessel is unique.
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Background
Claire had a lively career as a community artist before studying at Hereford College of Art, from which she graduated in June 2005 with a BAHons in Contemporary Applied Art. Claire received The New Exhibitors Award at Hereford Contemporary Craft Fair 2005 and a Honorary Mention at Chelsea Crafts Fair 2005. The receipt of a grant to help equip her new garden studio has given Claire a good start in her new career. Claire's work can be seen in galleries throughout the UK.
Retail prices £180 - £1500
" Claire Malet's work struck me as being outstanding. She uses humble munane materials and transfers it to a sumptuous powerful object. With a green future in mind, preservation of materials, recycling and the price increase of precious metal, this might be the new category to explode onto the craft scene" Hana Smouha, member of the Craft Council Selection panel for Origin: The London Craft Fair.
Claire is a member of Herefordshire Craft Forum.
Claire is a member of ACID – Anti Copying in Design.
