Established in 2011, Bench is a studio collective of four emerging Brisbane-based jewellers with the aim to create a working space for the sharing of ideas, creation of new work and critical discussion of art, particularly contemporary jewellery. Established by Clare Poppi, Katie Stormonth, Andrew Lowrie & Shanna Muston, Bench has evolved into a small community of makers dedicated to promoting jewellery as an art form. Bench artists explore and manipulate the crossover between visual art, craft, fashion & design, seeking to extract the best principles from each area and incorporate them into their own practice. While each artist has a very different direction and examines individual concepts, techniques and aesthetics, Bench provides a space through which an environment of understanding, shared knowledge and critical feedback can be fostered. Current Bench members are: Clare Poppi, Katie Stormonth, Nellie Peoples & Emma Clippingdale.