Hazel Thorn

For metalsmith, Hazel Thorn, metal is a wonderful material with which to explore colour, texture, pattern and form. In a process she has developed herself, she is able to combine different metals into one sheet, producing a surface that allows for bold and exciting patination. An object made from this combination of different metals is treated with one chemical process to achieve the painterly effect that has become Thorn’s trademark. Silver stays white, while base metal turns black, and an alloy of those two becomes blue-green.

Hazel Thorn, Future Heritage 2019 Alumni

Hazel Thorn’s work is greatly influenced by her upbringing in the Highlands of Scotland. This has given her a strong appreciation of both the powerful beauty of a wild landscape and also of the smallest details found on pebbles or tree bark. She aims to recreate the appearance or feeling of a wild place or natural material in her work.

She often designs by making many small samples of different effects and then considering what form would complement a larger sheet of a chosen pattern. Although the style intentionally makes her pieces look untamed, she is actually in close control of how the pattern is built up.

'Wrapped Birch Dish' by Hazel Thorn

At Future Heritage

At Future Heritage Thorn showed a number of vessels, but also took it as an exciting opportunity to explore a new direction of big and bold, wall-based work. Known for her dramatic vessels, she found making wall pieces for the first time, very stimulating. Her aim was to combine her interests in metalwork and in painting, by making objects which look like huge expressive brushstrokes, undulating across the wall in three dimensions.

“Making and exhibiting this new work has had a huge effect on my thoughts for the future, both in terms of ideas for things to create and planning for other specific projects. Future Heritage [also] put me in touch with potential collaborators for interior design projects - an area which I look forward to exploring.” - Hazel Thorn

Hazel Thorn is delighted to be working on a commission for the National Museum of Scotland - a place which has been very important to her since her student days. The NMS commission was awarded just before she started making her wall-pieces for Future Heritage. The commissioning curator was very interested in this new exploration and kept in close touch whilst Thorn developed the work. After visiting Future Heritage, the NMS commissioners confirmed that they wanted Thorn to continue in this direction for their piece. The new wall-pieces are a significant development of what she created for Future Heritage, taking them further in various ways, such as the interaction between separate elements of the composition.

'Overflowing Vessel' by Hazel Thorn

To find out more about Hazel Thorn visit her website.

If you would like to make an enquiry about commissions, get in touch here.