Belinda Esperson

1965
born Melbourne, Australia

education

2009
Advanced Diploma Engineering Technology – Jewellery
Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE, Melbourne

1991
Bachelor of Arts – Interior Design (Hons)
RMIT University, Melbourne

1985
Bachelor of Business – Marketing
Monash University, Melbourne

employment

The majority of my working career before jewellery was spent working for branding consultancies -
managing teams of designers responsible for developing visual brands for large corporate clients.
This included 2 years living and working in Amsterdam.

I did work briefly in interior design during and after completing my interior design degree but found
the long leadtimes, extensive client intervention and resulting design compromise
too much to bear as a designer. In contrast jewellery making involves many of the aspects
I loved about interior design (materials, form, textures, structure…) without many of the downsides.

exhibitions

2012
Divine Decadence
Pieces of Eight Gallery, Melbourne

Atelier en Route
Quesnoy-le-Montant, France

2011
Christmas Treasures
Pieces of Eight Gallery, Melbourne

Downsizing – a group exhibition of interior designers turned jewellers
Pieces of Eight Gallery, Melbourne

2009
MINT
Graduate Exhibition for NMIT Advanced Diploma Engineering Technology
Melbourne

2009
Contemporary Wearables ’09 Biennial Jewellery Award & Exhibition
Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery, Queensland Australia (travelling)

2009
BUDA  2009 10th Biennial Leviny Commemorative Exhibition
Contemporary Australian Silver & Metalwork
BUDA House, Castlemaine, Victoria Australia

awards

2012
Artstart grant
Australia Council for the Arts

2009
Best 2nd year student
Advanced Diploma Engineering Technology – Jewellery
Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE, Melbourne

2008
Best 1st year student
Advanced Diploma Engineering Technology – Jewellery
Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE, Melbourne

further learning

2012
Atelier en Route
Willemijn de Greef & Ineke Herkens
6 day jewellery workshop
Quesnoy-le-Montant, France

Dream Now – Ruudt Peters
6 day conceptual jewellery workshop
Ravenstein, The Netherlands

Indigenous Basket Weaving
2 day workshop
Geelong Botanical Gardens, Geelong Australia

2011
Pacific Weaving – Maryann Talla Pau
Making ceramic jewellery (casting) – Gretchen Hillhouse

2010
Deconstructed Basketry – Anna King (Scotland)
4 day workshop
Ballarat, Australia

Translucent Porcelain – Steven McClure
2 day workshop
Melbourne