鉴赏｜融汇欧洲与日本传统雕金工艺，创造独具风格的当代雕刻首饰

Castro Smith

英国雕金首饰艺术家

Castro was born in Newcastle, United Kingdom in 1988，he now lives and works in East London. Castro started training as a painter and printmaker. He thought he was heading for a career in computer game design, but when he saw an advert for an engraving apprenticeship in Hatton Garden, the heart of the jewellery industry of Europe, he applied, thinking it would be a good way for him to continue his passion for illustration.He began his training with a traditional apprenticeship with the Goldsmiths' Company and studied with one of the largest engraving firm’s RH Wilkins. He started at the bottom, and it was there that he learned to keep the tools sharp, clean the workshop, polish, file and engrave. He now makes his tools as it’s such a small industry you either need to have them handed down to you or make them yourself. During the five years’ apprenticeship he was awarded five gold awards by the British Craft and Design Competitions.He also received the Apprentice of the Year award from the Goldsmiths Company’s first female warden Judith Cobham-Lowe and the HRH Princess Royal.

Castro1988年出生于英国东北部城市纽卡斯尔，现在在伦敦东部定居。Castro青少年时期学习的是插画和版画，他当时以为自己未来会从事电脑游戏设计行业，但当他在伦敦哈顿花园（欧洲珠宝工业中心）看到雕刻学徒的广告时就立即申请成为一名学徒，他认为插画和雕刻有一些相通之处。

Castro在RH Wilkins（最大的雕刻公司之一）开始了他的学徒生涯，从基础开始学习。那段时期，他学习了如何保持工具锋利、清扫工作区域、锉削、雕刻、抛光等几乎所有工序。此外，自己制作雕刻工具也是雕刻师们必备的一项技能，大部分工具需求量太小无法量产，如果不是师傅传下来，就必须自己动手做。在五年的学徒生涯中，Castro获得过五项英国工艺和设计比赛的金奖，还从皇家公主殿下那里获得了“年度学徒奖”。

The technique he uses, 'seal engraving' goes back to ancient times. A seal is always engraved in reverse and is much deeper than traditional two-dimensional hand engraving with a third or fourth dimension added which is deeper and finer and takes much more time to achieve. Traditionally the signet ring would bear the family crest and the ring would be stamped onto hot wax to seal important documents, with the Intaglio engraving acting as a signature, and the engraved image or crest reproduced in the wax as a 3D relief. His style developed when he was rushing for an important deadline early in his career. He made a couple of slips with his tool and had no time to restart. So, he engraved around the whole piece with seal engravings, which people wouldn’t do traditionally because you can’t stamp using the sides of the ring. So, purely by accident, his aesthetic evolved from a slip.His illustrative and painterly style comes through in the design of his rings. His artwork is inspired by history, myths and biology - having always been obsessed with creatures and their creations.

Castro现在使用的“印章雕刻”技术可以追溯到古代。印章通常只能反向雕刻，反向雕刻比传统的二维雕刻需要花费更多时间，不仅深度更深，还需要增加第三或第四维度。欧洲传统的印章戒指均刻有家族徽章，印在火漆上即可给重要信件盖章、密封。家族徽章被内凹雕刻，在火漆上盖章后家族徽章会成为3D浮雕。

Castro的风格是在他学徒生涯早期大量、快速雕刻的时候发展起来的。他用工具滑了几下，来不及重新做，只能在整件作品上继续雕刻，传统雕金并不会这么做是因为贵族们不可能用戒指的侧面盖章。所以，纯属偶然，他的戒指侧面雕刻反而成为创新。雕刻技术娴熟之后，插画的一些特点也逐渐体现在他的戒指设计上，他的作品灵感来自历史、神话和生物学，他一直对生物学着迷。

In 2017 he was awarded the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust scholarship, and he travelled to Japan to study with Japanese masters under the guidance of Hiroshi Suzuki - spending many months in the workshop of master metal worker Kenji Io as well as his son Koichi, and his son's wife Mariko Sumioka spending time with Kashima Kazuo, and National Living Treasure, Mamoru Nakagawa.His studio is currently based at the Sarabande Foundation which was established by Alexander McQueen. He sells his jewelry pieces on a bespoke commission basis and through selected retailers. Now, he uses his knowledge of engraving to create contemporary pieces and to experiment with European and Japanese engraving techniques, producing cross-fertilisation of styles and processes.

2017年，他获得温斯顿·丘吉尔纪念信托奖学金，前往日本游学，跟随导师Hiroshi Suzuki 。在金工车间跟随 Kenji Io 以及他的儿子Koichi、他的儿媳Mariko Sumioka进行了数月的学习，与 Kashima Kazuo一起度过了许多时光。在日本将近一年的时间里，他主要学习了日本金属工艺、雕刻、铜器等工艺。

他的工作室现在位于Sarabande基金会的基地内，该基金会由亚历山大麦昆创办。目前工作室的珠宝主要通过客户定制和优质经销商两种方式售出。他利用自己的雕刻技艺创作当代作品，尝试融汇欧洲和日本的传统工艺，并创造新的风格。

备注：Hiroshi Suzuki，日本武藏野艺术大学教授，主攻金属工艺和珠宝方向。

本文编译者：王晓慧，艺术学硕士，云南旅游职业学院宝玉石鉴定与加工专业教师，主要讲授课程有《珠宝首饰手绘设计》《首饰制作》《工艺编结》等。