Machi de Waard

Masterclass Tutor

Machi de Waard is a designer/jeweller who has been making modernist jewellery in silver and gold in her studio in Reading, Berkshire for over 17 years. Combining her studio practice with teaching, Machi teaches jewellery making in Berkshire and Oxfordshire.

In 2021, her book Silver Jewellery Making, written with fellow jeweller Janet Richardson, was published by award-winning craft publisher Search Press. In 2023, Machi was awarded a Master’s in Jewellery and Metal from the prestigious Royal College of Art. In 2024, Machi received two awards from the Goldsmiths’ Craft and Design Council, the ‘Jewellery Oscars’, for her work of six hand scored miniature silver vessels.

Machi’s work is informed by the visual language of twentieth century modern art. Distilling the abstract forms and clean lines of modern art into her own self-imposed limited palette, Machi’s work focuses on visually and physically strong shapes, such as circles. She finds creativity through restraint, making iterations of her chosen shapes and varying details.

Machi has a drive towards design that is clean and crisp combined with a desire to continue to push craftsmanship to higher levels. But it’s not all serious: a lightness of touch is present; perhaps an unexpected detail, a spot of optical illusion or a miniature scale to invite approachability.

Although Machi’s work uses quite a formal visual language, there’s an edge of playfulness that entices the viewer to come closer. Her handmade pieces invite the viewer to handle them, feel their weight, touch their edges and explore their details.

Website: Machi de Waard