Ethical and environmental concerns are central to Elizabeth Shaw’s practice. Her artwork investigates societal and cultural values, and the meanings embedded in objects of material culture. She exhibits regularly and has received awards and grants, with her work represented in both public and private collections. Shaw actively initiates and facilitates environmentally and ethically focused events that foster dialogue and support a sustainable community of practice. She has served on the boards of state and national craft organisations and is a member of the Advisory Council of Ethical Metalsmiths. Shaw is a Senior Lecturer and Head of the Jewellery and Small Objects department at the Queensland College of Art, Griffith University.
StatementMy work is informed by material culture theory, collaborative initiatives, cultural connections, ethical practice, and the role of the handmade object in society.
Jewellery and personal objects are deeply enmeshed in social life, and my practice contributes to contemporary discussions around re‑evaluating cultural material priorities. I am particularly interested in working with discarded and broken items—materials destined for, or rescued from, landfill. I draw on an aesthetic of repair and value honesty in materials.
Over the years I have inherited and purchased the contents of other jewellers’ studios, including lemel and partially made projects. I incorporate unidentifiable or unresolved components from these collections into my own work. The majority of my pieces are made from reused metal, and whatever is not reused is 100% recycled. My preference is always for reuse, minimising the energy required for processing.
I work in a solar‑powered studio where I prioritise hand tools over power tools, aligning my making processes with the environmental ethics that underpin my practice.

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