Shinta Nakajima

Japanese metalsmith Shinta Nakajima is based in Sheffield and is inspired by the area’s rich history of metalwork and silversmithing. His vessels explore and celebrate the wonders of nature. He seeks to integrate the stability of metal with the transient beauty of plants, and focuses on seeds and fruits in their symbolism as vessels of life.

After completing his BA Metal Craft degree at Musashino Art University in Tokyo, Nakajima worked as a technician for 5 years under Professor Hiroshi Suzuki, the Japanese-British silversmith. He has won many Goldsmiths’ Crafts & Design Council Awards and completed a MFA with distinction from Sheffield Hallam University in 2023.

Public collections include: Sheffield Assay Office & Sheffield Museum.

‘I produce ornaments and vessels using hammering and chasing techniques, and my works are inspired from plants, with particular focus on forms of seeds and fruits. Hammering is a very simple and somewhat meditative, repetitive process; the act of beating the metal sheet to create undulation, convex and concave forms.’