about
Emma Bugg (b. 1981, lutruwita/Tasmania) is a contemporary jeweller known for fusing traditional metalsmithing with emerging technologies, speculative storytelling, and unconventional materials. With over fourteen years of experience, she creates work that bridges the personal and political, the physical and digital—transforming jewellery into layered, interactive experiences.
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In 2025, Emma was awarded the inaugural Bridge Arts Prize for Bridges and Bloodlines, a dual-wearer necklace exploring kinship and connection across place and lineage.
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She was also a finalist in the 2024 Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize for Nuggets of Wisdom and Fries with That- an interactive sculptural jewellery set that connects to an AI chicken nugget chatbot. View here
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In 2024, Emma collaborated with Professor Andrew Pask for the Not Natural exhibition at Science Gallery Melbourne, creating a locket embedded with Thylacine pelt and DNA, offering audiences a poetic and provocative lens on de-extinction. View HERE
That same year, she also presented her work at Women in Design , lutruwita/Tasmania.
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In 2023, she received a fellowship for the Women’s Art Prize Tasmania, recognising her contributions at the intersection of art, craft, and technology.
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Emma is a co-founder of State of Flux Workshop, established in 2020 in Hobart—a vibrant artist-run studio and gallery that supports contemporary jewellery and object makers, and fosters critical engagement within the field.
Her works have been acquired by significant institutions including MONA (Museum of Old and New Art) and the Unconformity, and frequently integrate QR codes and NFC tags, inviting touch-based and digital interaction.
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At the heart of Emma’s practice is a commitment to material curiosity, speculative inquiry, and radical storytelling, positioning her as a transformative force in contemporary jewellery, whose work reflects the present while imagining alternative futures.
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Galleries and Stockists:
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Employment
2023-2024 Peer review panel, RANT arts, Arts Tasmania
2011-2017 Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) Gallery invigilator, performance artist
2011-present Practicing artist, self employed
Education
2015 University of Tasmania, Foundations of Technology for Healthy Living
2012 Postgraduate Master class, Contemporary Art Jewellery- Karl Fritch and Lisa Walker, University of Tasmania of Fine Art
2009-2010 Tasmanian Polytechnic. Diploma of Art, Craft & Design in jewellery design
2000-2002 University of Tasmania, School of Fine Art. Bachelor of Fine Art degree
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Solo Exhibitions
2021 Seeing in the Dark, Handmark Gallery, Hobart
2020 Still Life, Handmark Gallery, Hobart, Tasmania
2019 Explorations in Concrete, Moonah Arts Centre, Tasmania
2016 Exhibition of new work; Emma Bugg. Handmark gallery, Hobart, Tasmania
2014 Let’s get Metaphysical, Handmark gallery, Hobart Tasmania
2012 Hear my voice before it is spoken, Handmark gallery, Hobart, Tasmania
2011 Unearthed, 146 Wallspace, Arts Tasmania. Collection of new jewellery
2010 Emerging Artists show; Emma Bugg & Blair Waterfield. Handmark gallery, Hobart, Tasmania
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Group Exhibitions
2024 Woollahra Small Sculpture prize, Sydney
2024 Namedropping, MONA Tasmania
2024 Absolute Piston Gauges, Contemporary Art Tasmania
2024 Not Natural, Science Gallery, Melbourne
2023 Difficult Terrain, Schoolhouse Gallery, Rosny Farm
2023 Precious- Excellence in Contemporary Jewellery. QVMAG, Launceston Tasmania
2022 Certain Women, Soggy Brolly Gallery, Queenstown, Tasmania
2021 Radiant Pavilion, The Boroughs, Melbourne, Victoria
2020-2023 Crown exhibited at Ladies Lounge, MONA
2018 Triple Parade, HOW Design Centre, Shanghai, China
2017 Toowoomba Contemporary Wearables '17- Biennial Jewellery Award & Exhibition
2017 In-house, Moonah Arts Centre, Tasmania
2017 Material: Concrete, Artisan Gallery, QLD
2016 The Contemporary Jewellery Exchange International online exhibition
2015/16 Sweet Tribology, Area Recreativa Monte Deva, El Pinar, France
2015 Earthcode, Plimsoll Gallery, University of Tasmanian School of Fine Art
2015 Connected, 146 Art Space, Arts Tasmania
2015 Earworms, GAFFA gallery, Sydney NSW
2013 Fabricate Contemporary jewellery exhibition, Design Centre, Launceston, Tasmania
2013 Art Takes Miami, Miami Art Fair, Miami Beach, USA.
2013 Toowoomba Contemporary Wearables, Toowoomba QLD (Nationally Touring Exhibition)
2013 Pushing the Boundaries, School house gallery, Rosny Tasmania
2013 Tactical Magick, workshop participant and exhibitor, CAT gallery, Tasmania
2010 Design by 10, contemporary jewellery. Side Space Gallery, Salamanca Arts Centre Hobart (curator and exhibitor)
2009 Explorations jewellery exhibition. Gaffa Gallery, Sydney & Guildford Lane Gallery, Melbourne
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Professional Development​
2024 Guest speaker, Agents of Change: Women in Design 2024
2018 Undisciplined conference, Hobart, Tasmania
2015 Parallels design conference, Melbourne
2015 Parallels design camp. Selected to attend five day camp with national & international artists & designers
2015 Women in Design. Design Centre, Launceston
2015 LINK festival-Design, technology and social change. Melbourne.
2015 Earthcode | core litany Selected to participate series of field trips, discussion panel & create responsive artwork
2014 Transmediale festival. Attendee and technical assistant for Nancy Mauro Flude, Haus der Kulturen, Berlin, Germany
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Awards and Major Projects​​
2025 Inaugural winner, The Bridge art prize, Bridges and Bloodlines necklace. 9B Studios, New Norfolk
2024 Woollahra Small sculpture prize finalist- Nuggets of Wisdom & Fries with That
2024 Private commission, David Walsh and Kirsha Kaechele-10th Wedding anniversary bespoke jewellery.
2024 A Moment to Reflect, Thylacine de extinction collaboration with Prof. Andrew Pask. Not Natural exhibition, Science Gallery, Melbourne
2023 Gilded Memories, Charm Necklace for Queenstown. Unconformity festival
2023 Women’s Art Prize Fellowship Recipient -Established Artist, RANT Arts & Bell Bay Aluminium
2023 Commissioned project 2023 Unconformity Festival, Queenstown TAS
2019 Decay concrete bangle Finalist Footscray Art Prize
2017 Shrapnel necklace Finalist in National jewellery award Toowoomba Contemporary Wearables
2016 Awarded development grant to explore use of concrete. Arts Tasmania
2014-2016 Awarded studio residency, Arts Tasmania Connected program
2015 LINK festival, Melbourne. Fellowship awarded. Granted RAF Quick Response funding to attend
2014 Commissioned by Artist Hubert Duprat to make gold chips for caddis fly artwork, MONA
2014 Crown Commission for wedding of Kirsha Kaechele & David Walsh
2013 Love Brooch Project Selected for Toowoomba Contemporary Wearables, (AUST/NZ)
2013 Observatory necklace chosen for international publication in Lark 500 series book ‘500 Art Necklaces’
2012 Selected as Top 5 Tasmanian artists, 30 & under Nicole Durling, Senior curator at MONA
2011 Commissioned to design brooch featuring QR code technology for David Walsh, owner MONA museum)
A R T I S T C V