Becky Bliss

Becky Bliss graduated from Whitireia New Zealand in 2010.

Her current work looks at social issues such as global warming, fair pay and equal employment opportunities. She has previously looked at traces of the past using subtle layering to evoke memories of what has been;  before. More recently the Penumbra series looked at spaces created around the shadows of simple shapes.

She was a participant in HandShake 1, 3, 5 and 7 as well as HandShake alumni exhibitions, in the New Zealand/German Wunderrüma exhibition, and an exhibitor in Schmuck 2020 in Munich and Valencia, and Schmuck 2015 in Munich and Prague. She was a participant in the inaugural New Zealand Jewellery triennial.

Her work is in collections at Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, The Dowse Art Museum, Auckland War Memorial Museum, as well as private collections.

Education

• Bachelor of Applied Arts, Whitireia New Zealand 2010
• Diploma of Visual Communications, Wellington Polytechnic 1976

Professional development

• HandShake Upskill Workshops 2024   
• Hilde de Decker masterclass (5 days), Wellington 2016
• Peter Bauhuis Workshop, Auckland 2015
• Benjamin Lignel Workshop, Wellington 2015
• David Clark workshop, Auckland 2015
• HandShake mentoring project, mentee: Mentor Fabrizio Tridenti, Italy 2011-2013

Selected exhibitions

2025

• Fingers Group Show, October
• A collection of wall brooches, TheSeeHere Gallery
• Seasons Unhinged, G+T, O:A, NJW 
• Finding Found, NJW
• Ringonometry, G+T, O:A, NJW
• Goodness, Jewellery from Aotearoa NZ, NJW
• Apple series, Licky Licky Group Show, Nelson Picture Framers, NJW
• Goodness, Jewellery from Aotearoa NZ, Munich

2024 

• Stanley Street Gallery, Sydney
• The See Here
• O:A group show, Gertrude & Smith Gallery, Radiant Pavilion, Melbourne
• Allsorts, group show, Radiant Pavilion, Melbourne

2023 

• Avid Gallery A Brooch Show, Wellington 
• TheSeeHere: Textile/Adjacent, Kingsroy Gallery, New Plymouth 
• HS/DC/TempContemp: Contained/Uncontained, The Refinery, Nelson Jewellery Week (NJW)  
• O:A Reflect: 10-year retrospective of Occupation Artist members,The Refinery, NJW 
• Finding Found, NJW 
• Licky Group Show, Quiet Dog Gallery, NJW 

2022  

• HS/DC/TempContemp: Contained/Uncontained, 
• Pah Homestead, Auckland 
• TheSeeHere: Textile/Adjacent, Wellington Gallery Walk
• HOME, Season Gallery, Commercial Bay, Auckland 
• Avid 30 year Anniversary Exhibition, Wellington 
• Delimit exhibition, Thistle Gallery  
• Jewellery Triennial, Objectspace, Auckland 
• Handshake 7, Gallery Marzee, The Netherlands 

2021 

• CHAINreaction, Handshake, Nelson 
• Cancelled, Nelson 
• Finding Found, Radiant Pavilion 2021  
• HS/DC/TempContemp: Contained/Uncontained, 
• Radiant Pavilion 2021 
• 2020-2021 Kiwi Schmuck, The Jewel and the Jeweller, New Plymouth
• The See Here – Tick Tock neck piece 
• New Zealand Jewellers, Gallery Marzee, The Netherlands 

2020 

• Schmuck, Munich 
• The National, Christchurch (Frame Galleries, Schmuck not Schmuck) 
• Schmuck, Valencia 
• Gallery Faux 
• ATTA Gallery 10 Year Anniversary Exhibition, Thailand 
• Stanley Street Gallery, Sydney – Makers of Traditional Change – Handshake Project  
• Te Auaha Gallery, Wrapping Up, Whitireia Alumni 

Publications

• Wunderruma 2014
• HandShake: 12 contemporary jewellers connect with their heroes, 2014
• Schmuck Catalogue 2015
• SPANpoints, Handshake 3, 2016
• Contemporary Jewellery in Context, a HandShake blueprint, 2017
• Schmuck Catalogue 2020

Awards

• Masterworks Award for jewellery graduate 2010
• Winthrop University Guild of Emerging Metalsmiths, USA. Sticks and Stones Award 2010

Instagram @becky_bliss_jewellery