Elemental Forms - Laura Ngyou in Her Somerset Studio

Filming with Laura revealed a process led by intuition and rooted in memory.

On a recent visit to Somerset, I spent the day with jewellery artist Laura Ngyou, filming her in her studio - a lovingly built shepherd’s hut nestled in her garden, surrounded by birdsong and greenery. Watching her work, you can see that Laura's creative process is as intricate and organic as her work.

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Watch the film from my visit to Laura’s studio below :

Laura’s pieces are born from a fascination with miniature natural worlds - imagined seascapes, coral structures, crystalline growths, and botanical fragments. Rather than drawing from a single source, her work evolves from an amalgamation of many memories shaped by travel, nature, and intuitive exploration.

“I’ve always had a preoccupation with the sea and marine life,” she explained, describing the lasting impression of scuba diving expeditions in Fiji and Borneo. “These trips to this day have left me completely spellbound - being part of that other world, having close encounters with manta rays, hammerhead sharks, turtles and the most exquisite coral and fish.”

In her studio, this sense of wonder is translated through constant experimentation. “This involves the melting, hammering and manipulation of metal, until I reach a point where certain forms or textures are created that evoke a memory or feeling, for example of a rock formation, seed pod or plant growth pattern.”

Gemstones, too, play a central role - sometimes initiating a design, sometimes patiently waiting in her collection for the right moment. Recently, she’s been drawn to stones like tourmaline and aquamarine, whose long crystalline forms echo the organic lines she crafts in metal.

“Moving to Somerset has definitely slowed my pace of life, allowing me to reflect, appreciate and really access what is happening moment by moment. It has made my experience of living and working more conscious. I am incredibly privileged to have been allowed this space in such a beautiful environment, waking up to and surrounded by trees, plants and the sound of birds every day.’

- Larua Ngyou

Laura embraces ambiguity in her work, and rarely creates directly from life. “I hardly ever sketch or copy. Instead, it’s a memory or a feeling I chase - an impression of a natural object that’s slowly abstracted in the making.” Her creations often blur the line between plant, coral, fungi or mineral - objects that seem both ancient and otherworldly.

Her process infuses each element with organic character. “Gold has this magical warmth and malleability I love. And recently I have been drawn to stones that naturally occur in very long crystalline forms recently, like tourmaline and aquamarine, as they suit the linear forms of the metal samples I have created through melting and experimental casting.”

Despite the intricacy of her jewellery, her tools remain simple. “My soldering torch, a few pliers, my files and saw - they’ve all become like extensions of my hands. I’m preoccupied with finding low-tech ways to manipulate metal, to let it form itself into something abstract and unexpected.”

Since relocating from London to Somerset, Laura’s pace of life and creativity has shifted. “There’s a deeper stillness here. I’m more conscious of each moment, more connected to the environment around me.”

Her shepherd’s hut studio is a reflection of that change; a peaceful, light-filled space filled with collected stones, shells, and fragments of nature. “It has been a huge shift for me to move in to my new studio in my garden, that was built with love and care by my partner Rob who is a cabinet maker. It’s a special place, which allows me even more space to dream, work and experiment, surrounded by many of the natural objects and materials I find so inspirational.”

Looking forward, Laura hinted at future projects, including larger sculptural pieces inspired by tree burrs. “I hope (they) will surface one day when I can tear myself away from making jewellery!”

Her ability to blur boundaries between the real and the imagined brings narrative to even the smallest of forms.

Thank you to Laura for inviting us into her studio and sharing some of her processes with us.

Photography, videography & interview by Isobel Napier