Wendy Kemp

I was born in Cumbria and after completing a BTEC foundation course at Cumbria College of Art and Design, I graduated with a First Class Honours Degree in Jewellery and Silversmithing at The School of Jewellery in Birmingham.

Major awards I have won include The 1996 Royal Society of Arts Design Award, which enabled me to take up Artist in Residence at Ino Cho Kochi, Japan. In 1996 I also won the Platinum Design Award in the Goldsmiths Craft Council Craftmanship Design Awards and the following year won First Prize in the Goldsmiths Craft Council Craftmanship Design Awards. I then became Artist in Residence at Edinburgh College of Art.
Major commissions include designing and making the trophy for the Ladies Race at Ascot in 1997 which was commissioned by De Beers.
I have exhibited in major national galleries throughout the UK including The National Museum of Scotland (96), The Royal Scottish Academy Edinburgh (96), Barbican Arts Centre London (96), National Theatre London (96 & 97), Leicester City Art Gallery (98), Leeds City Art Gallery (99) Manchester Town Hall (2001), New Ashgate Gallery, Farnham (2002), Rufford Craft Centre Nottingham (2002) and Goldmiths Hall London (2003).

Whilst working for a major gemstone company in Hatton Garden London for two years I studied gemmology at The Gemmological Association of Great Britain and qualified as a gemmologist and became a Fellow of The Gemmological Association (FGA) in 2000.

I now live in East Sussex with my husband and three children and work from my open studio which is situated in my family home in Crowborough. I love selling directly to customers as I love being in contact with the people who wear my work. 
I support several charities and this came about by wanting to help some of my dearest friends who have needed these charities personally and I will continue to support and do all I can to help them.