Cinnamon Lee began her metalsmithing journey at a TAFE course in Sydney, falling in love with the workshop and the process of manipulating metals into jewellery. However, a lighting project rounded out that course, and set her off on another path, one that took her to Canberra for her undergraduate degree in order that she could begin to work with larger objects.

Through her entire undergraduate degree in silver- and gold-smithing, Lee created only lights. But she is not interested in pursuing a career in mass-produced lamps for general consumption — she is attracted to what she terms ‘preciousness.’ Indeed, this is where she draws the connection between her lighting practice and her jewellery (which she has returned to since her undergraduate studies.) Lee says ‘I’m interested in using the same kind of philosophies that underpin making previous objects for the body, but not making them for the body.’

Welcome to the second designer profile for our new exhibition Stories In Form. In the lead up to the opening of the show we are looking at each designer featured and the story behind their work. To find out more about the exhibition, click here, and to catch up on all profiles (as well as an introduction from curator Jacqueline Power) click here.

Reading her biography, it is no surprise that metalsmith Cinnamon Lee cites her design philosophy as witnessed through her work as ‘knowledge is power’ — in 2010, she completed a Masters of Philosophy in Visual Art. Using this knowledge has led Lee to create her contribution to Stories In Form, a collection of lights that respond to the proximity of the user.

Lee often works at an intricate scale, combining traditional gold- and silver-smithing methods with modern manufacturing techniques such as rapid prototyping, favouring jewellery and lighting design.

As the curator of Stories in Form I am thrilled to be able to introduce this exciting exhibition. So what makes this exhibition special?

I believe that a particularly exciting aspect of this exhibition is that all of the pieces on display are products – they have the potential to be manufactured in large numbers. These are the types of items that owners often seem to cherish the least because they lack personalisation.

What makes us love our belongings? Often the things we cherish the most have little monetary value but have an unseen value – they may remind us of a person, a place or a special moment. The object becomes a receptacle for stories.