Museums Victoria is delighted to announce the winners of its inaugural Gold Jewellery Acquisitive Prize, celebrating three Victorian creatives for their design excellence and craftsmanship in developing a unique jewellery concept that responds to the history and ongoing impact of gold in Victoria.
2025 Prize Winners:
Major Prize – Laura Deakin, for her proposed piece The Diggings Ring. Through this gold jewellery piece, Laura shares a story of transgenerational environmental connection, concern, and repair of the lands and waterways around Wandiligong.
First Peoples Prize – Simone Thomson, for her proposed piece Boorndup Biik. Simone's proposal is a narrative of beauty and cultural strength amidst the complex and dark history of Victoria’s goldfields for First Peoples.
Emerging Prize – Lou Wheeler, for their proposed piece The Safest Investment. With their design proposal, Lou explores the archetypes of power, wisdom, and economic security symbolised by gold.
The winners were selected by an expert judging panel:
Kimberley Moulton – Adjunct Curator Indigenous Art, Tate Modern; Senior Curator Exhibitions, RISING; Emeritus Curator, First Peoples, Museums Victoria
Mark Edgoose – Artist, craftsperson, educator, and Senior Lecturer in Gold and Silversmithing, RMIT University
Rory Hyde – Associate Professor in Architecture, University of Melbourne, and member of Museums Victoria’s research committee
This prize supports each winner to bring their concept to life as a finished jewellery piece, which will be acquired into the State of Victoria Gold Jewellery Collection, one of the most significant public collections of Victorian goldfields jewellery.
Stay connected as we share more about each Prize winner’s profile, work, and creative proposal in the coming weeks.
Learn more via the link in our bio.
i am overjoyed to finally share this very special engagement ring which i made for two dear friends earlier this year. the ring is cuttlefish cast 18k yellow gold, set with three natural sapphires. the last slide shows the proposal (appropriately) taking place underwater during the giant cuttlefish mating event in whyalla
Congratulations to Lou Wheeler, an emerging artist working in metal and winner of the Emerging Prize in the inaugural Museums Victoria Gold Jewellery Acquisitive Prize.
Lou's proposed piece, The Safest Investment, explores the archetypes of power, wisdom, and economic security symbolised by gold. Judges were impressed by the confidence of the design, its subversive concept, and strong response to the collection, with many layers of reference within the piece, materials, and encasement.
About their inspiration for this gold piece, Lou says: “Gold has become something that is seen as financial security rather than an earthly material of beauty and honesty.”
Learn more about the Museums Victoria Gold Jewellery Acquisitive Prize via the link in our bio.
As summer wanes on this daylight saving Sunday , I cast 22ct gold , 9 ct orange gold and a wonderfully “Max Ernst” style personal artwork. Plus…
installed a refurbished vacuum motor into housing and proved it,
Reclaimed some gold from old hard carbonised borax,
Learnt new engraving technique from @shit_wheels and pickled the metal and not myself.
Oh…. And this fun granulation dance.
I’ll show the new artwork soon when I’ve touched it up.
Been awhile eh?
offical reel of rott wheeler at the grand annual @object_merchant ball at @meatmarketmelb a couple weeks back. thanks to u all that came i love every single one of ur souls and also the souls of u that didn’t come but said such beautiful things irl and on the internet 👹 this crazy good reel was filmed and made by the beautiful and talented incredible and fancy @christy.chudosnik and if u want a reel made maybe ask her bc she does a wonderful job. blessings to one and all 💝🛠️💎🌬️🤍
some recent and some not so recent moments of rat. fishing walking looking and loving with endless gratitude and respect for the scared lands we tread and live on. happy (belated) tranniversary to u @born_2_fish__forced_2_work
