Metal Melodies: Jeweller Annie Quinn on legendary Bent Exner and music inspirations

Donegal-born and Dublin-based jeweller Annie Quinn traces much of her creative influence to her childhood in her family pub, The Glen Tavern, where traditional music was a constant backdrop, and this environment still has a major influence on her work today.

“Music is still part of my life,” said Annie. “Growing up in Donegal with the family pub, and the whole rugged landscape, and the rawness of the music had a huge influence on my work.

“Our house was a house always full of music, with music dating back to the early 1940s, from my grandfather’s time.”

Annie’s ‘Sesiún’ collection, filled with brooches and pendants of fiddles, harps, concertinas, flutes, tin whistles, Uileann pipes and the bodhrán, is a clear example of the musical influence from home on her work. 

“With being brought up in a house of music, I started to make a Sesiún collection,” Annie told Donegal Life. 

“That collection would be inspired by the musicians all over the generations that gathered in my family’s pub and played music, and that is a collection I have been making for many years. 

“The harp from that collection was picked up for the 1916 Commemorative Pendant. We are the only country which has a musical emblem. 

“Jewellery making is like Irish music, because when you get into your session of playing, you could go for hours and hours, and it is the same when I get into the workshop. It could be for 10 or 12 hours, and I would not stop because I just love it.”

Making jewellery has been a lifelong passion for Annie, who grew up in the Gaeltacht Lár, and all of her jewellery pieces are originally designed in her workshop.

She has been working as a jeweller for the past two decades, and specialises in architectonic jewellery design and gilding.

“Being a maker probably stands out in its own right,” said Annie, “as a lot of the products of jewellery companies in Ireland and the commercial world can be made outside the country.”

After completing her schooling at St Columba’s Comprehensive School, Annie’s formal jewellery education began when she attended The Regional Technical College in Letterkenny, followed by the National College of Art & Design in Dublin, graduating in 1990.

From there, Annie took the next step in her career, which involved cycling 10km every morning to the Danish workshop of Bent Exner, considered to be one of the most influential jewellery designers of the 20th century. 

Annie remembered: “I got a scholarship to go and do an apprenticeship in Jutland, Denmark.

“It was in a very rural part of Denmark, and after studying in Dublin, I was raring to go. I was young and fearless, and to work under somebody like Bent Exner was a privilege. It was a privilege to work with someone like that.

“I didn’t mind the cycling, as I wanted to learn. I learned new skills like gilding. It was the first time I worked in a real workshop. 

“Studying in college, you worked to a brief, whereas in a workshop, it was real life. He was very well known and famous in Europe at that stage. You worked hard and a full day. From out of college and into the real world of jewellery making.”

Despite her period in continental Europe, it was home and Ireland which inspired Annie’s designs. As well as her Sesiún collection, Annie has designed other collections with home at the heart.

“I have another collection which is called Cloghán,” said Annie. “It is a jewellery collection inspired by the story of the ancient stone walls around Ireland, and especially in Donegal. I have a number of pieces in that collection, such as An Grianán of Aileach and the Abbey Wall.

“With my Sport collection, there would be pieces like the hurl and a football. My last collection is Ag Amharc Amach, which is ‘Looking Out’. 

Ag Amharc Amach, according to Annie, represents the power of positivity, featuring pieces entitled Silver Lining, Window of Opportunity, and The Road Home. 

Now recognised as an established jewellery maker, Annie is optimistic about the future of crafts. Along with running her own workshop, Annie has led Irish language-centred creative workshops for the next generation.

She explained: “I was a teacher for a number of years and taught some metalwork. Overall, there are good opportunities. 

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“Myself and Eithne Ní Ghallchobhair, a writer, would organise workshops throughout schools, the Gaeltacht, and the libraries. There is a big interest in that, and Irish is getting very strong again.

“Kids are extremely creative and have no inhibitions. A bit of encouragement and off they go.

“If you are that way inclined to work in the craft world, you work hard and put in the hours, but every hour is enjoyable. Go for it! It is great, and I love my work.

“When you get started, you don’t even feel the hours. That is why I compare it to music. When you make one piece, it can trigger other designs, like when you play one piece of music, it can trigger other tunes. I would not talk anybody out of it because I picked a career that I loved.”

Despite offering advice for the next generation, Annie is still inspired to create more exciting jewellery herself in the future. 

“If you are a designer, you are always looking for more ideas and inspiration.

“The competition is higher now, whereas before, there would have been more hands-on workshops. There would not be as many now, and I think the business is getting stronger at the moment, because people are looking for good-quality pieces.”

Annie’s jewellery collections are available to view at anniequinnjewelry.com