David Poston (b.1948, Moscow) is a highly respected British artist-jeweller and maker whose extraordinary multidisciplinary career has continually challenged the boundaries between jewellery, object-making, design, engineering and social innovation.
Born to British parents in Moscow and educated in the United Kingdom, Poston studied jewellery design at Hornsey College of Art during a transformative period in British studio jewellery, emerging as part of a generation that fundamentally redefined what jewellery could be.
From the outset, Poston rejected conventional notions of preciousness and adornment, instead developing a practice rooted in experimentation, invention and conceptual enquiry. Working predominantly with non-precious metals and unconventional materials, he created jewellery and objects that balance wit, intelligence and sculptural sensitivity with a deep understanding of process and construction. His works often appear deceptively simple yet reveal sophisticated systems of movement, balance and engineering, reflecting a lifelong fascination with how things function, interact and evolve.
What distinguishes Poston’s career is the remarkable breadth of experiences informing his practice. Alongside periods devoted to jewellery and object-making, he spent many years working across twelve African countries supporting sustainable livelihoods and development initiatives. He also contributed to medical technology research, explored early haptic interface systems and became involved with several international high-tech start-up companies. These diverse fields of enquiry profoundly shaped his thinking as a maker, bringing an unusually expansive and interdisciplinary perspective to contemporary jewellery and metalwork.
Poston also made a significant contribution to education through his role as leader of the Jewellery and Silversmithing programme at Loughborough University, where he encouraged generations of students to embrace experimentation, critical thinking and innovation. His influence as both educator and practitioner reflects a restless curiosity and commitment to expanding the possibilities of making.
One of the most important surveys of his career was Necklace for an Elephant and Other Stories: The Working Lives of David Poston, a major touring exhibition originated by The Harley Gallery and Ruthin Craft Centre and later presented at Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh. The exhibition brought together jewellery, photography, inventions, notebooks and objects from across Poston’s career, revealing the interconnected nature of his interests and confirming his position as one of the most original and unconventional figures within British contemporary craft.
Although no longer actively producing new work, Poston’s studio remains based in Suffolk and stands as a testament to a career driven by imagination, enquiry and invention. His objects continue to resist easy categorisation, occupying a compelling space between sculpture, artefact, engineering and adornment. Beneath their understated surfaces lies an artist deeply engaged with materials, systems and human interaction, qualities that continue to make his work both distinctive and enduring.
David Poston’s work is held in major public collections including the Victoria & Albert Museum, London; Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne; National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh; and Shipley Art Gallery & Museum, Tyne & Wear.
