Aldona Juska Thistle Art and Jewellery

Specialising in botanical art and using recycled materials, Yorkshire-born Aldona Juska somehow manages to imbue normally industrial materials such as copper and steel with a sense that they have organically grown into the work that she produces.

Now resident in Edinburgh, Aldona spent many years abroad in the USA and Australia working as a librarian. Ever keen to use to her creative side in her spare time, she jumped at an opportunity to work with talented Mexican blacksmiths in Los Angeles, California and it was here that she discovered her affinity with metal work. This led Aldona to take a creative metal art course upon her return to the UK and begin working out of her own welding studio in 2002.

Since producing her first studio work nearly ten years ago, Aldona has risen both in popularity and confidence, receiving critical acclaim from The Scotsman newspaper, and others, along the way. Initially creating delicate and eye-catching jewellery and sculpture, Aldona has now developed a body of work that includes elegant and unusual candelabras and centrepieces perfect for display in any home.

Artery Gallery is proud to show a range of Aldona’s pieces, including examples of her thistle-

inspired work. With these, Aldona has captured the form of this quintessentially Scottish plant in items as diverse as kilt pins, cufflinks and candleholders. An added Scottish twist is that some of her ‘thistle-making’ materials have been reclaimed from North Sea oil platforms – making every one a handcrafted blend of contemporary and traditional Scotland.
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