JEWELLERY DESIGNER - MAKER
EDWIN
CHARMAIN
Descended from a family of textile producers in Indonesia's Batik city of Pekalongan, Edwin Charmain is a multi-award-winning jewellery designer-maker specialising in the arts of Filigree making and Wire manipulation.
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Inspired by Indonesian Batik Arts and Craftsmanship, Charmain combined traditional Indonesian Batik motifs with unique sequences found in natural objects and buildings. In doing so, he breathes a new life into the centuries-old batik and filigree traditions — connecting the past and the present to create the future.
“Situated between art, fashion and craftsmanship, jewellery has become a bridge to connect my cross-discipline design practices. I love working with jewellery because there are lots of techniques found in graphic design and textile production that I could implement and experiment with in the body of work. More than that, I see jewellery as a symbolic, poetic and complex storytelling medium. There is always a deeper meaning than what meets the eyes.”
Charmain has a Master of Arts degree in Design: Jewellery from Central Saint Martins (2018) and a Bachelor of Visual Communication Design degree from Pelita Harapan University (2013).
He has received the Exceptional Promise endorsement from Arts Council England (2020) and is a Freeman of The Worshipful Company of Gold and Silver Wyre Drawer (2023).
His work was selected as the Silver winner in Ready-to-Wear Category (2022) and Bronze Winner in Wire Innovation (2023) at Goldsmiths' Crafts & Design Council Awards in London, UK.
Charmain has exhibited internationally starting from the Creative Union for London Design Festival (2018); IN FLUX & Where I Draw The Line for Munich Jewellery Week (2019 & 2020); Ventura Future, Milan (2019); The 18th Edition of Autor Jewellery Fair in Bucharest, Romania (2019); Milan Jewellery Week (2019); NYC Jewellery Week (2020); and ACJ Open Exhibition (2021).
He continues to sustain the art of Indonesian batik through jewellery from his London studio, whilst also nurturing and maintaining a collaborative working environment with filigree craftsmen in Indonesia.
“My design is all about culture and craftsmanship. Manifesting legends and communicating feelings through iconography and symbolism in nature. Each collection is a story that is specially crafted and investigates to celebrates the life, courage and wisdom of the people who came before me and who are about to be."
AWARDS & NOMINATIONS
2023 - The Worshipful Company of Gold and Silver Wyre Drawer | GSWD | Freemen.
2023 - GC&DC x GSWD | Wire Innovation | Bronze Awardee.
2022 - GC&DC x The NAJ & BATF | Ready to Wear | Silver Awardee.
2021 - Arts Council England | Round 8: DYCP | Grants Recipient.
2020 - Arts Council England | Exceptional Promise | Endorsee.
2019 - ZLR Betriebsimperium | ZLR Jewellery Award | Nominee.
2019 - GC&DC x GSWD | Wire Innovation | Contender.
2018 - LVMH | MAISON/0 Sustainable Intelligence Design | Nominee.
PRESS
2022 - Filipa Oliveira | Contemporary Filigree. | Print.
2019 - La Republica | Ispirazione Batik. | Print.
2019 - Jewellery Focus | Spring Is In The Air | E-Magazine.
2019 - Fashion Crossover | Graduate Designer: Edwin Charmain | Web.
2018 - Gasholder | LDF: Take The King's Cross Routes. | Print.
2018 - Benchpeg | The Creative Union exhibition. | Web.
2018 - London Design Festival | Creative Union | Web.
2018 - Jeroboams | HEATH Spring 2018 | Print.
EXHIBITIONS & FAIRS
2023 - GSWD | Treasure of Gold and Silver Wires | London, England.
2023 - Goldsmiths' Company | Goldsmiths' Fair 2023 | London, England.
2023 - Lethaby Gallery | Design Transforms 2023 | London, England.
2023 - Scottish Gallery | Contemporary Filigree | Edinburgh, Scotland.
2022 - Goldsmiths' Company | GC&DC 2022 | Goldsmiths' Crafts & Design Council.
2021 - UK ACJ | 2021 Open | Association for Contemporary Jewellery.
2020 - Katharina Kraus | Near & Elsewhere | NYC Jewellery Week.
2020 - Schmukgalerie Silbermann | Where I Draw The Line | Munich Jewellery Week.
2019 - Artistar Jewel | Milano Jewellery week 2019 | Milan.
2019 - Wanted Design | Wanted Design 2019 | Industry City, Brooklyn.
2019 - AUTOR | AUTOR Fair 2019 | National Teater, Bucharest.
2019 - Organisation In Design | Ventura Future 2019 | BASE Milano.
2019 - Schmukgalerie Silbermann | IN FLUX | Munich Jewellery Week.
2019 - Goldsmiths' Centre | Getting Started 2019 | Getting Started.
2018 - Central Saint Martins | Creative Unions | London Design Festival.
2018 - Central Saint Martins | CSM Emerge | The Degree Show Two.