Victoria Kershaw, Silversmith

Naomi Jones talks to Victoria Kershaw, a silversmith who has also discovered a passion for teaching.

When did your love of silver begin?
During my degree – a Bachelor of Design at Liverpool Hope University – where we used textiles, ceramic, wood and metal. Afterwards, I moved to Sheffield for three years to work part-time for Chris Knight; he gave me a bench in his studio to develop my own portfolio when not fulfilling his commissions. Teaching also appealed to me so I used that time to train.

Did you follow up on the teaching?
Yes, at Henshaws Arts & Crafts Centre, passing on my craft to blind and visually impaired people; that was a great experience.

Do you still teach there?
No, I had to leave the job when awarded a place at the Royal College of Art. It was really hard to wrench myself away but I’d always dreamt of studying there. It was worth it, too: my professor, David Watkins, was so encouraging – he made me think about bridging the gap between my silver pieces and what motivates them.

What is your main source of inspiration?
Derelict buildings: rough textures are key.

You decided not to settle in London...
That’s right, I moved back to the north into the studio programme at Yorkshire Artspace, which supports young silversmiths by providing a fully equipped workshop and subsidised rent; that’s when I received my first major commission and designed the cake stand and slice, which is still in my current collection.

Is that your favourite piece?
Yes, after it won a design award and sold well, I realised that combining concrete and silver wasn’t as crazy as I’d first thought. It gave me the confidence to know I was on the right path.

Your work is beautiful and functional, too...
Yes, that’s very important to me: everything, almost everything, I make is designed to be used. The bird feeder, shown on my website, is unusual as it’s a one-off art piece; the only birds that get near it are the ones on the wallpaper.

You’ve relocated several times. Where is your studio now?
Back in Sheffield at the Butcher Works, a Grade II listed building that at one time served the local cutlery manufacturing industry. It’s now divided into apartments with artists’ studios on the ground floor; there are other metalworkers, but also a violin bow maker and a bookbinder. We can meet up in the on-site café for a chat, and we also get together to put on exhibitions in the gallery, which I help organise.

Do you still have time to teach?
Yes, at the Leeds College of Art; and in my studio I run evening classes as well as day courses on more specialist areas such as photo etching, which is a technique used on some of my work.

Your passion for your craft is infectious. Your students must feel that too...
I do receive some lovely letters from ex-students saying that I’ve given them belief in themselves. I feel that if you set your mind to something and work really hard you can achieve anything.

To discuss a commission, call Victoria on 07973 679062 or visit victoriakershaw.com. Prices from £75.

FEATURE NAOMI JONES PHOTOGRAPHS ALWIN GREYSON
Featured in the November 2010 issue of Period Living