Anodized Niobium Flower Brooch

Overview

Learn the art of anodizing metal to create vivid, iridescent color without dye or paint with visiting artist, Stefan Gougherty. In this workshop you will cut and file components from niobium sheet metal, then rivet them together to construct an anodized flower brooch. Using a small anodizing unit and a low voltage electrical current, you will explore how color shifts and deepens depending on the charge applied, working with a metal that takes color more readily and reliably than titanium. No prior metalworking experience required.

Stefan Gougherty creates jewelry that’s both a celebration and critique of human ingenuity. His previous career designing wearable technology for Google informs his metalsmithing process– where practicality, ergonomics, manufacturability and more are synthesized to create highly functional (yet weird) art-objects. He has exhibited his jewelry worldwide and currently is currently based in Richmond, Virginia.

IG: @instagougherty