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Dr Zoe Veness

Dr Zoe Veness

Senior Lecturer
Arts, Design & Architecture (ADA)
School of Art & Design

Zoë Veness is an artist, designer and educator specialising in contemporary jewellery and object design. She holds a Diploma of Dance from the Australian Ballet School, Naarm (Melbourne), and a Bachelor of Design, Master of Design (Research) and Doctor of Philosophy from UNSW Art & Design.

Zoë’s research-led creative practice examines aesthetics of time through craft-based methodologies, framed by ideas of movement, materiality and place. Drawing on her background in classical ballet, her work adopts a deliberately dichotomous approach to making, oscillating between experimental and systematic processes across paper and metal media. Her practice operates at the intersection of contemporary craft, design research and material inquiry.

Her work has been supported through prestigious international and national artist residencies, including Edinburgh College of Art (2006) and Bundanon (2010). Zoë has developed ten solo exhibitions, including Still Point (Gallery Funaki), The Stream of Time (Woollahra Gallery), New Terrain in an Old World (Craft + Design Canberra), The Infinite Fold (JamFactory) and Mathematical Beauty (Australian Design Centre). She has participated in over forty national and international exhibitions and was awarded the winning prize in the 2023 Contemporary Wearables Biennial Jewellery Award Exhibition.

Zoë is currently a Chief Investigator on an Australian Research Council–funded Linkage Project exploring sustainable approaches to repurposing textile waste into contemporary jewellery and objects. Her work is held in significant national and international public collections, including the Musée des Arts Décoratifs (Paris), the National Gallery of Australia, the Art Gallery of South Australia, Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery and Griffith Regional Art Gallery.

Zoë joined UNSW Art & Design in 2018 and has held senior academic leadership roles including Deputy Head of School (Design), Director of the Bachelor of Design and Master of Design programs (2022–2024), and Director of Education (2021–2022). She was Academic Lead for the Object disciplinary studio, where she led curriculum development in jewellery and ceramics for the Bachelor of Design, contributing to the institution’s contemporary object design pedagogy.

zoeveness.com
E-mail
z.veness@unsw.edu.au
  • Journal articles | 2021
    Veness Z, 2021, 'Post-COVID reflections on material-making for design students at Art & Design, University of New South Wales', NiTRO, https://ddcanitro.squarespace.com/articles?author=60ffe900c5b2604291a006d4#show-archive
  • Creative Works (non-textual) | 2026
    Veness Z, 2026, Sky Series II, State of Flux, Alta Forma, Naarm/Melbourne, 31 January 2026 - 28 February 2026, medium: vitreous enamel, copper, cord, at: https://altaforma.au/all-exhibitions/project-one-ephnc-sw42h-xrre4-mrj4s-gzd25-a2p5s
    Creative Written Works | 2025
    Veness Z, 2025, Sky Series: Painting the heavens with glass, Garland Magazine, https://garlandmag.com/article/sky-series/
    Creative Works (non-textual) | 2025
    Veness Z, 2025, Dawn, Poetics of Place II, ATTA Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand, 15 May 2025 - 13 July 2025, medium: vitreous enamel, copper, cord, at: https://attagallery.com/event-works.php?eventId=28794&event=Poetics+of+Place+ll+by+Australian+Artists%2C+Curated+by+Melinda+Young
    Creative Works (non-textual) | 2025
    Veness Z, 2025, Double Loop 2025, Trove: Contemporary Jewellery, Craft Victoria, Naarm/Melbourne, 27 September 2025 - 08 November 2025, medium: cotton rag paper, nylon coated stainless steel cable, sterling silver, at: https://craft.org.au/whats-on/all-events/trove-contemporary-jewellery/
    Creative Works (non-textual) | 2025
    Veness Z, 2025, Dusk, Poetics of Place II, ATTA Gallery, Bangkok Thailand, 15 May 2025 - 13 July 2025, medium: sterling silver, silver solders, cord, at: https://attagallery.com/event-works.php?eventId=28794&event=Poetics+of+Place+ll+by+Australian+Artists%2C+Curated+by+Melinda+Young
    Creative Works (non-textual) | 2025
    Veness Z, 2025, Sky Series, Matters of Time: Contemporary Metal Practices, UNSW Galleries, Gadigal/Sydney, 29 August 2025 - 16 November 2025, medium: vitreous enamel, copper, cord, at: https://www.galleries.unsw.edu.au/exhibition/matters-of-time
    Creative Works (non-textual) | 2025
    Veness Z, 2025, Solaris, MAKE Award: Biennial Prize for Innovation in Australian Craft and Design, Australian Design Centre, Gadigal/Sydney, 10 October 2025 - 19 November 2025, medium: cotton rag paper, nylon coated stainless steel cable, sterling silver, at: https://makeaward.au/
    Creative Works (non-textual) | 2025
    Veness Z, 2025, Wreath II 2024, The Familiar in the Foreign, Galerie Handwerk, Munich, Germany, 12 March 2025 - 17 April 2025, medium: cotton rag paper, nylon coated stainless steel cable, sterling silver, at: https://www.hwk-muenchen.de/artikel/das-vertraute-im-fremden-the-familiar-in-the-foreign-74,0,11751.html
    Creative Works (non-textual) | 2024
    Veness Z, 2024, Still Point brooch series 2024, Still Point, Gallery Funaki, Naarm/Melbourne, 20 March 2024 - 20 April 2024, medium: cotton rag paper, sterling silver, stainless steel cable, stainless steel wire, at: https://galleryfunaki.com.au/exhibitions/zoe-veness-still-point-claire-mcardle-ply-ii/
    Creative Works (non-textual) | 2024
    Veness Z, 2024, Wreath 2024, Still Point, Gallery Funaki, Naarm/Melbourne, 20 March 2024 - 20 April 2024, medium: cotton rag paper, ink, stainless steel cable, sterling silver, at: https://galleryfunaki.com.au/exhibitions/zoe-veness-still-point-claire-mcardle-ply-ii/
    Conference Presentations | 2023
    Veness Z, 2023, 'Wayfaring through Jewellery Practice', presented at All Hands on Deck Cross-Disciplinary Symposium, University of Technology, Sydney, 19 July 2023 - 21 April 2024, https://allhandsondeck2023.com/
    Creative Works (non-textual) | 2023
    Veness Z, 2023, Ribbon series, Melbourne Design Fair, Australian Design Centre presentation, Melbourne Exhibition and Conference Centre, 18 May 2023 - 21 May 2023, medium: archival paper, 10ct gold, stainless steel wire, at: https://australiandesigncentre.com/past-exhibitions-and-events/melbourne-design-fair/
    Creative Works (non-textual) | 2023
    Veness Z, 2023, Tracing threads of re-making. In: Vestige, Vestige, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, nipaluna (Hobart), 15 December 2023 - 31 March 2024, medium: copper, brass, silver solders, various patina finishes, at: https://www.tmag.tas.gov.au/whats_on/exhibitions/current_upcoming/info/vestige
    Creative Works (non-textual) | 2023
    Veness Z, 2023, Wreath 2023, Australian Design Centre presentation for Melbourne Design Fair, Melbourne Exhibition and Conference Centre, 18 May 2023 - 21 May 2023, medium: archival paper, stainless steel cable, sterling silver, at: https://australiandesigncentre.com/past-exhibitions-and-events/melbourne-design-fair/
    Creative Works (non-textual) | 2023
    Veness Z, 2023, Wreath II 2023, Melbourne Design Fair, Australian Design Centre presentation, Melbourne Exhibition and Conference Centre, 18 May 2023 - 21 May 2023, medium: archival paper, stainless steel cable, sterling silver, at: https://australiandesigncentre.com/past-exhibitions-and-events/melbourne-design-fair/
    Conference Presentations | 2022
    Veness Z, 2022, 'Surfaces of Time: Patination and Colouring in Vessel Making', presented at Histories of Metallurgy and Metal Material Culture Symposium, Australian National University, 18 November 2022 - 18 November 2022, https://soad.cass.anu.edu.au/events/histories-metallurgy-metal-material-culture
    Creative Works (non-textual) | 2022
    Veness Z, 2022, The Stream of Time. Solo exhibition, The Stream of Time, Woollahra Gallery, 16 April 2022 - 03 April 2022, medium: contemporary jewellery and vessels displayed on custom made plinths and wall panels, at: https://www.woollahragallery.com.au/whats-on/exhibitions/the-stream-of-time
    Creative Works (non-textual) | 2022
    Veness Z, 2022, Wayfaring Vessels, The Lake Art Prize 2022, The Vessel – Contained Within and Moving Between, Museum of Art and Culture yapang, Lake Macquarie, NSW, 24 September 2022 - 11 December 2022, medium: nine lidded vessels in copper, brass, sterling silver, gold, silver solders, various patina finishes, at: https://mac.lakemac.com.au/Events/Lake-Art-Prize-2022
    Conference Papers | 2021
    Samarasekara I; Moline K; Veness Z, 2021, 'Reimagining the Cosmopolitanism of Sri Lanka through Cultural Artefacts', in New Networks, Online, presented at 2021 ACUADS/DDCA Conference, Online, 28 October 2021 - 29 October 2021, https://acuads.com.au/conference/article/reimagining-the-cosmopolitanism-of-sri-lanka-through-cultural-artefacts/
    Conference Presentations | 2021
    Veness Z, 2021, 'Folding Space-Time: Wayfaring through Object Making', presented at Value Chains Reset: The JMGA conference redistributed - Jewellery Values - Materiality, Making & Movement, 09 October 2021, https://sydneycraftweek.com/events/jewellery-values-materiality-making-movement/
    Conference Papers | 2021
    Veness Z, 2021, 'Resilience Narratives: Shifting Imperatives of Material-Making during Times of Crisis', in New Networks, Online, presented at 2021 ACUADS/DDCA Conference, Online, 28 October 2021 - 29 October 2021, https://acuads.com.au/conference/article/resilience-narratives-shifting-imperatives-of-material-making-during-times-of-crisis/
    Curatorial Outputs | 2020
    Veness Z; Stubbs S; Dower B; Lindsay S, 2020, Wayfaring (Stage 2), exhibited at: Craft ACT: Craft + Design Centre, Canberra, 26 March 2020 - 09 May 2020, https://craftact.org.au/collections/wayfaring
    Creative Written Works | 2020
    Veness Z, 2020, New Terrain in an Old World, Frangipani: Garland Compendium Three, Murray K, (ed.), Blurb Incorporated
    Creative Works (non-textual) | 2020
    Veness Z, 2020, The Return Loop. In: Made/Worn: Australian Contemporary Jewellery, Made/Worn: Australian Contemporary Jewellery, Australian Design Centre and national tour, 30 June 2020 - 03 July 2022, at: https://australiandesigncentre.com/madeworncontemporaryjewellery/
    Creative Works (non-textual) | 2020
    Veness Z, 2020, Waiting. In: Design Isolate, Design | Isolate Exhibition, Australian Design Centre, 26 November 2020 - 27 January 2021, at: https://australiandesigncentre.com/object-digital/design-isolate/zoe-veness/
    Curatorial Outputs | 2019
    Veness Z; Stubbs S; Dower B; Lindsay S, 2019, Wayfaring (Stage 1), exhibited at: studio xl_xs, Melbourne, 13 September 2019 - 15 September 2019, http://www.radiantpavilion.com.au/wayfaring.html
    Creative Works (non-textual) | 2019
    Veness Z; Veness S, 2019, Wayfaring (vessel series). Affinity (brooch series). Waiting (autonomous jewellery)., Affinity. Joint Exhibition, Stacks Projects, Sydney, 25 July 2019 - 11 August 2019, at: http://www.stacksprojects.com/affinity.html
    Creative Written Works | 2019
    Veness Z, 2019, Wayfaring, Murray K, (ed.), Garland Magazine, World Crafts Council - Australia, World Crafts Council, https://garlandmag.com/loop/zoe-veness/
    Creative Works (non-textual) | 2019
    Veness Z, 2019, A Landscape of Our Making. In: Picturesque, Picturesque, JamFactory at Seppeltsfield, South Australia, 29 November 2019 - 09 February 2020, at: https://www.jamfactory.com.au/marmalade/2019/8/8/exhibition-insight-picturesque
    Conference Presentations | 2018
    Hogan J; Veness ZJ; Jones S; Hughes P, 2018, 'Reparation: Three points of contact', presented at Australian Consortium of Humanities Research Centres: Humanities in the Regions 2018, Launceston Tasmania, 10 May 2018 - 11 May 2018, http://www.utas.edu.au/humanities/events/event/2018/may/humanities-in-the-regions-collaborating-with-collecting-and-cultural-institutions
    Curatorial Outputs | 2018
    Veness Z; Young M, 2018, Thinking through making: new strategies in design education and research, exhibited at: UNSW AD Space, Sydney, 09 October 2018 - 13 October 2018, https://www.sydneycraftweek.com/events/thinking-through-making-new-strategies-design-education-and-research/
    Creative Written Works | 2018
    Veness Z, 2018, New Terrain in an Old World, Murray K, (ed.), Garland Magazine, https://garlandmag.com/article/new-terrain-in-an-old-world/
    Conference Papers | 2017
    Juliff T; Keating MJ; Norrie H; Veness ZJ; Kratz SJ, 2017, 'Praxis Now: Frayling's 'Research in Art and Design' 24 years on', in ACUADS Conference 2017, Australian National University School of Art & Design Canberra, presented at Australian Council of University Art & Design Schools, Australian National University School of Art & Design Canberra, 28 September 2017 - 29 September 2017, http://acuads.com.au/conference/article/praxis-now-fraylings-research-in-art-and-design-24-years-on/
    Curatorial Outputs | 2017
    Veness ZJ; Jones SL, 2017, Posterzine Project, exhibited at: Studio Ingot Melbourne, 26 August 2017 - 02 September 2017, http://www.radiantpavilion.com.au/the-posterzine-project.html
    Creative Works (non-textual) | 2017
    Veness ZJ, 2017, A Grand Collar. In: Urban-a-wear-ness, Urban-A-Wear-Ness, RMIT University, Bowen Lane, Melbourne, 02 September 2017 - 02 September 2017
    Creative Works (non-textual) | 2017
    Veness ZJ, 2017, New Terrain in an Old World. Solo Exhibition, New Terrain in an Old World, Craft ACT: Craft and Design Centre, Canberra, 16 November 2017 - 16 December 2017, at: https://craftact.org.au/blogs/past-exhibitions/folding-space-holding-time
    Curatorial Outputs | 2017
    Veness ZJ, 2017, Remanence, exhibited at: Domain House, Hobart, Tasmania, 17 March 2017 - 26 March 2017, https://www.tendays.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/brochure_2017-1.pdf
    Conference Papers | 2016
    Veness ZJ; Tieu B, 2016, 'Poetic Dimensions: Jewellery Conversations about Design Process', Taipei, presented at ICDHS The International Conference on Design History and Design Studies: Making Trans/national Contemporary Design History, Taipei, 26 October 2016 - 28 October 2016, https://www.facebook.com/ICDHS2016Taipei/
    Conference Presentations | 2015
    Veness ZJ, 2015, 'To make an end is to make a beginning', presented at edgesbordersgaps: 16th Jewellery and Metalsmiths Group of Australia conference, Sydney College of the Arts, Sydney, 11 July 2015 - 12 July 2015
    Creative Works (non-textual) | 2015
    Veness ZJ, 2015, Autonomous Jewellery. Solo Exhibition, Autonomous Jewellery, Studio 20/17 Contemporary Jewellery Sydney, 20 October 2015 - 07 November 2015, at: https://www.facebook.com/events/955174571220172/
    Theses / Dissertations | 2015
    Veness ZJ, 2015, Towards Autonomous Jewellery: Examining the loop between jewellery and the body through a sculptural dimension
    Creative Works (non-textual) | 2014
    Veness ZJ, 2014, To make an end is to make a beginning. Solo Exhibition, To make an end is to make a beginning, ADSpace UNSW Art & Design, 03 November 2014 - 07 November 2014
    Conference Presentations | 2012
    Veness ZJ, 2012, 'Holding Time: An Analysis of Jewellery Making', presented at Making: An International Conference on Materiality and Knowledge, Notodden, Norway, 24 September 2012 - 27 September 2012, https://openarchive.usn.no/usn-xmlui/handle/11250/2438149
    Creative Works (non-textual) | 2006
    Veness ZJ, 2006, Mathematical Beauty. Solo Exhibition, Mathematical Beauty, Australian Design Centre (formerly Object: Australian Centre for Craft and Design), 11 November 2006 - 07 January 2007, at: http://www.liveguide.com.au/Events/451457/Zo_Jay_Veness_Mathematical_Beauty/Zo_Jay_Veness_Mathematical_Beauty
    Creative Works (non-textual) | 2005
    Veness ZJ, 2005, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8... Solo Exhibition, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8..., Two Cubed, Sherman Galleries, 13 August 2005 - 31 August 2005, at: http://shermangalleries.sherman-scaf.org.au/exhibitions/twocubes.asp.html
    Creative Works (non-textual) | 2005
    Veness ZJ, 2005, The Infinite Fold. Solo Exhibition, The Infinite Fold, JamFactory Contemporary Craft and Design, 13 August 2005 - 31 August 2005
    Creative Works (non-textual) | 2004
    Veness ZJ, 2004, Alchemical Analogies. Solo Exhibition, Alchemical Analogies, Ivan Dougherty Gallery UNSW, 10 February 2004 - 14 February 2004

2024 Australian Research Council, Linkage Project Grant

2023 UNSW Art & Design Research Grant

2019 Exhibition Development Fund, Contemporary Arts Tasmania

2017 Australia Council for the Arts, Arts Project Grant

2012 UNSW Postgraduate Research Student Support Travel Grant

2011 Australian Postgraduate Award

2011 UNSW Art & Design Top Up Scholarship

2006 Australia Council for the Arts, Visual Arts Development Grant

2005 Craft-in-Site Grant, Australian Design Centre

2003 Postgraduate Research Grant, UNSW Art & Design

2002 Australia Council for the Arts, Visual Arts Development Grant

My Research Supervision

Caitlin Dubler, (PhD practice-based, joint supervisor), The geology of glass: Critical craft as a methodological approach revealing material durations

Jingwen Yuan, (PhD practice-based, joint supervisor), Poetic translations and embodiment: Virtual materials and data transformations in contemporary jewellery practice

Changrui He, (PhD practice-based, joint supervisor), Modularity and Adaptation of Textile and Apparel Products: Construction Systems for a Sustainable Future

Chantelle Baistow, (PhD practice-based, secondary supervisor), A design-led exploration of energy transition in the NSW Central Coast and Hunter regions through recycled coal ash provotyping in 3D-printed ceramics with industry and community stakeholders

Emma Peters, (PhD practice-based, joint supervisor), Designing new circular economy pathways for post-consumer textile waste in the interior textile industries 

Completions

Chloe Congdon, (PhD practice-based, secondary supervisor), Healing, Reverie and Soma’Sensory Anchors: Designing objects of soft fascination to move from fight and flight, to flow and flourish

Inoka Samarasekara, (PhD practice-based, joint supervisor), Acts of preservation and renewal: Remaking traditional forms of Sri Lankan jewellery impacted by colonisation and globalisation 

Kyoko Hashimoto, (MFA practice-based, joint supervisor), Bioregional Bodies: Place-based making and experimental design practices in contemporary jewellery 

Julie Oliver, (MPhil, joint supervisor), Hidden Jewellery Revealed: an exploration of social status through the Rouse Hill House jewellery collection, 1801 to 1924