Alice Biolo’s work is a tangible representation of our hidden turmoil - of the insecurities, pain, and trauma we each carry and conceal within us. An Italian-born jeweller and current Artist in Residence at Glasgow School of Art, Alice crafts pieces that appear deceptively minimalist from the front, but reveal intricate, kinetic, and spiky details on the back. These sharp elements symbolise the complexity and darkness of the human condition, aiming to destigmatise mental illness and to establish an intimate bond with the wearer; who alone is aware of the jewellery’s ‘dangerous’ underside.

Alice's striking and distinctive work has earned her a spot in Shine 2024, the Goldsmiths’ Centre’s annual exhibition and development programme for the industry's most promising new talent. She recently discussed her latest collection with us, delving deep into its rich and challenging themes.

Alice Biolo's Journey into Jewellery Making
I started my career in jewellery at fifteen at a specialised art school in Padova called the Liceo Pietro Selvatico. Initially, I wanted to study architecture, but I tried out jewellery in one of the mini workshops and I just fell in love. When I graduated in 2018, I decided to travel to the UK for a two-week holiday, but ended up applying for university there.

I got accepted and in 2019 I started a bachelor’s degree in Jewellery and Silversmithing at Glasgow School of Art, which I completed in 2023. I’m in my first year of residency at Glasgow School of Art, and just got accepted for a second year, so at the moment, I’m working out of the university’s workshop. It’s been a year since I achieved my degree, and since then, I’ve kept on working, making and designing, and I’m finally launching a new collection.

Inspiration Behind the Designs
I started working in my current style during my last year at Glasgow School of Art, for my degree show. I was creating this collection called Under the Skin, and I was exploring the concept of the human as a vessel. So as humans, we’re all very simple on the outside, and then on the inside, we’re very difficult and intricate. I wanted to represent that in work that was more conceptual and narrative in nature.

The resulting pieces were harder to wear, so I decided to create more wearable versions, and this is the collection I’ll be launching at Shine 2024. It still consists of statement pieces, so they’re not for everybody, but if you're not too intimidated, they're very wearable, very playful, and a smaller representation of my bigger pieces.

Defining Alice Biolo's Design Style
The main concepts explored throughout the collection are pain, trauma, and insecurities. I use myself as inspiration, almost journaling through my work and using it to try to understand myself better. I want to recreate those dark emotions and inject them into my journey and my creative practice. I really enjoy making brooches, and I think they’re one of the best canvases for this kind of expression.

I would describe my design style as minimalist from the outside and very intricate on the inside. I enjoy making externally smooth and simple structures that have internal dangerous, sharp, or complex elements. I like the paradox of softness and sharpness, of playfulness and danger. Most of my pieces are kinetic, with moving parts. The pieces are not soldered together and a lot of work goes into structuring them that way.

Traditional and Modern Techniques in Alice's Work
For the making of my pieces, I use both traditional and modern techniques. The structures are hollow and circular. I’ve always been drawn to circles, I’m not really sure why, it’s just a form that keeps coming into my work. I make them using traditional methods, by soldering sheet metal, usually sterling silver, and then creating the structures and mechanisms on the inside. I close them with a silver sheet, using a laser welder, which is a more contemporary technique, it doesn’t heat up as much as normal soldering, and it’s better for maintaining the quality of the stainless steel pins and the gemstones. It has given me great freedom to play with structure, movement, and materials.

Evolution of Design and the Use of Pins
The idea of using pins slowly came about at the end of my third year at Glasgow School of Art, during another project. I really liked the material for portraying the idea of pain and trauma. I sketch a lot in my practice, wherever I am - I could be in bed with my phone or working in a sketchbook, and the idea began to emerge in my sketches. I started by  doing samples, trying the pins in different positions to build a structure. Eventually, I made a piece, and I didn’t solder it. Unintentionally, I realised that without soldering, the pieces were able to move, so I decided to explore the idea of not soldering the inside to create movement and sound.

In some of the pieces, the pins are more closely packed together, which creates less movement and a sharper look. There are so many options for different sounds and looks, either through using different materials or by adjusting the number of pins and the millimetres between them. So a lot of mathematics goes into my practice.

The H.n5 Ring: A Favourite Piece
The H.n5 ring was the most challenging piece I've made. I'm not a setter by nature, I did a bit at university, but I never took an intensive, professional course in setting. So I always try to find alternative ways to set my stones. With this one, I wanted to recreate the pins by myself, so I did it one time in silver, and then I wanted to push it even further. So I made a tube setting, completely replacing all the stainless steel pins with a tiny, 1.8 millimeters tube set cubic zirconia. It was very challenging and took a long time, but I was very pleased with the result. I think it’s my favourite because it’s the one I struggled with the most. It has a different quality to the stainless steel pieces, which shimmer when the light hits the metal - the stone creates a different effect.

Audience for the Collection
We all experience some kind of trauma, pain, and insecurity in our life, but there are some people that are a little bit braver in acknowledging that, whilst others might not really understand what I’m doing conceptually with my pieces. They might even laugh at it, but overall I’ve had very positive feedback from the public. I think people who are interested in statement pieces that are a little larger will definitely be drawn to the work, and whilst the style isn’t for everyone, most people do seem to enjoy the movement and the sound. 

The Significance of Shine 2024 Selection and Future Goals
It’s definitely been a confidence booster - both being chosen, and the mentoring programme that Shine provides. In the past I’ve done Getting Started Online and was selected for Spotlighting Getting Started, but Shine provides more in-depth training in regards to speaking to camera and product photography. I’ve been procrastinating for so long when it comes to these activities, but finally I’m getting the hang of them.

I'm quite interested to see what other opportunities might come after Shine. Whilst I’ve exhibited a lot internationally, I haven’t had much work exhibited in London so I’m quite excited to meet the UK market and see how it reacts to me! It’s an exciting time, and I’m very busy.