Elsa Tierney is a London-based artist-jeweller whose practice explores the boundaries between contemporary art jewellery and sculpture. With a background in Fine Art and over two decades of experience in jewellery making, she creates distinctive, sculptural works that engage with the body, figurative forms and the enduring relationship between adornment and art.
Wax is central to her practice, connecting two contrasting approaches to sculpting intricately carved and detailed figurative forms, alongside the spontaneous, fluid process of mitsuro hikime, a traditional Japanese wax-sculpting technique using soft mitsuro wax. Rooted in the tradition of lost-wax casting, these methods allow Elsa to explore texture, gesture and materiality, bringing together the precision of traditional jewellery-making with a more intuitive, sculptural approach.
Informed by a fascination with the body, ancient adornment and historical objects, her work considers jewellery as a tactile, individual form that exists between the body and sculpture.
Alongside her studio practice, Elsa is the author and co-author of two books on wax carving and mitsuro hikime, and teaches these specialist techniques through workshops and private tuition. Her work has been exhibited at Goldsmiths’ Fair and recognised through Goldsmiths’ Awards and multiple research grants.
Awards & Grants
2025 — Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation Grant Award
2025 — Goldsmiths’ Award, Lapidary & Carving category
2023 — Goldsmiths Catalyst Grant Award
2019 — Goldsmiths’ Bronze Award, 3D Modellers category
2018 — Goldsmiths’ Bronze Award, 3D Modellers category
2017 — Goldsmiths’ Award, exhibitor
2016 — Goldsmiths’ Silver Award, QVC category
2016 — Benchpeg Award, finalist
2015 — Goldsmiths’ Gold Award, Raw Pearls category