About

Romilly Saumarez Smith

I worked as a bookbinder from the mid-1970s, creating contemporary bindings for 20 years and developing innovative techniques in structure and decoration. When I began incorporating copper wire into designs, I became fascinated by metal, so different from leather and paper. Diagnosed with a rare form of MS in 2004, I was unable to work for five years. Now paralysed from the neck down, I work through assistants, my "translators", who work in my home, which, itself, holds a strong sense of my presence. They come individually, and I never doubt that the work is mine, they have become my hands. My inspiration comes from many sources: the sea and shore, misread images, and historical forms from the Renaissance and Tudor periods. I’m also inspired by diverse materials, including metal-detected finds (Newfoundland), antique cutlery handles (Treehandles), thimbles (Thimbellumare), precious metals, gems, pearls, coral, sea urchin spines, ammonites, and fossils.

CV