DMU student strikes gold with a precious metalwork bursary


Precious metal experts from a goldsmith’s company originally founded in medieval London have awarded a £1,000 bursary to a talented student at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU).

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Founded in the fourteenth century to regulate the trade, the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths continues support the industry through the Precious Metal Bursaries which encourage undergraduate students to create their final year projects using precious materials.

Josefina Flello Martinez, a third year Design Crafts student at DMU, won the full £1,000 bursary after impressing the judges with her plans for a set of decorative vessels which are intended to hold something precious.

The 22-year old said: “I was really nervous about compiling and submitting my design boards, but I was encouraged every step of the way by all of my tutors.

“Entering this competition was a once in a lifetime opportunity, so to have actually won a bursary feels really special.”

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Josefina is equally passionate about two-dimensional drawing and incorporates elements like surface patterns into her three-dimensional designs to create a distinctive aesthetic.

She said: “I really like mixing non-traditional and traditional technologies to create something exciting.

“I’m also really interested in how people interact and connect with everyday objects, so my vessels will be all about the senses.”

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Josefina’s finished pieces will be showcased at New Designers, the premier UK exhibition for emerging design and precious-metal graduates, where she has been hand-picked to exhibit by her tutors at DMU.

They will also be displayed at the Goldsmiths’ Centre - a unique community in the heart of Clerkenwell providing training and workspace to goldsmiths, silversmiths and allied crafts - as part of a high profile industry event.

Exhibiting at New Designers could lead to a sought-after Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths New Designer Award; an exciting chance to complete one week of work experience and business support with a specialist Master-craftsperson at the Goldsmiths’ Centre.

As part of the first cohort of students to move into DMU’s brand-new, high-tech Art and Design Centre, Josefina is also looking forward to exhibiting in the end-of-year Design Show, which attracts designers and industry experts nationwide.

Josefina said: “DMU’s Art and Design Centre is so light and airy with the latest technology and new equipment at our fingertips.

“It’s a much more inspiring place to be creative in.”

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Posted on Monday 14 March 2016

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