Joy Bonfield-Colombara awarded QEST Scholarship

Joy is an artist and goldsmith who creates jewellery and small-scale sculpture in gold, silver and bronze. She has a BA in Jewellery and Silversmithing from the Glasgow School of Art, and an MA in Jewellery and Metal from the Royal College of Art. Much of her work is inspired by classical Roman and Greek art, which she gives a distinctive contemporary twist.

Since graduating she has exhibited both nationally and internationally, and has work in international galleries and museums.

Her website is: https://joybc.co.uk

Joy’s QEST funding will support one-to-one training with goldsmith Giovanni Corvaja in Todi, Italy. His work combines ancient methods with innovative chemistry to further the craft of goldsmithing. Studying under him will equip Joy with an artillery of skills which she will be able to apply to her existing work as well as developing new work and future masterpieces. It will also give her a deeper understanding of gold, its properties and how to manipulate them.

QEST supports excellence in British craftsmanship by providing scholarship funding to talented and aspiring makers to further their training. The latest application round saw over 200 applications, whittled down to 22 successful makers, including Joy, who will all receive funding for their training, alongside further support from the charity throughout their careers. Since the charity was founded in 1990 it has awarded over £5million to more than 650 makers working in 130 different crafts and the next application round for funding is open 11 July – 15 August 2022.