Bryony Knox

It was whilst studying Three Dimensional Design: Wood, Metal & Plastics that Bryony Knox first started making automata from metal, discovering her true passion in working with metal. She continued her journey, doing a Masters of Design: "I found that metal as a material suits my temperament. I am more of a hammerer than a meticulous measurer. It is colourful, magical and malleable, once you understand how it works you can make in all scales, from jewellery to weather vanes."

After graduating, Bryony set up her own workshop and business and is now based in Scotland. Over the past 20 years, she has gone from automata, to blacksmithing, to making kinetic gates and jewellery, only settling into making silver functional sculpture for the last 10 years. For the past 18 years, the maker has been selling and exhibiting in galleries throughout the UK and abroad, whilst also undertaking more intricate private and public commissions including J K Rowling, Winchester Cathedral and HRH Princess Anne.

Hundreds of years ago, Bryony's family were Huguenot Silversmiths and so this heritage may play a part in her inspiration. Nevertheless, she cites her designing roots most likely come from her interest in illustrating the stories, myths and nursery rhymes her parents told her as a child. All her work has a tale as its starting point, whether it is the dark humour in a nursery rhyme, through Greek myths or heraldic animals. During her residency at Edinburgh Zoo, the maker researched and explored the myths and legends behind the birds she was sketching to add extra elements to her stunning designs.