Meet the Associates… First Year 2025
JamFactory’s highly acclaimed Associate Program provides outstanding career development opportunities for emerging artists and designers working in the fields of glass, furniture, ceramics or jewellery/metal.
The program is designed to accelerate development of the professional and entrepreneurial skills required to establish and maintain a successful and sustainable creative career.
The program provides a platform for network building and peer to peer learning within a dynamic creative hub that attracts leading art, craft and design industry figures from across Australia and around the world.
Meet our 2025 Foundation Associates!
Ceramics
Eden Wellings
Eden Wellings is a self-taught ceramicist who creates lighting sculptures through hand-building techniques. With a background in interior design, focusing on textiles she weaves in the appearance of fabric in weightless folds, tears and creases. Her ceramic objects highlight the presence through absence of space, light and their cast shadows.
“Having the opportunity to play, create and experiment in a professional studio like JamFactory is truly a pinch me moment. I am looking forward to further developing my artistic identity and brand, with the support and collaboration of this generous community.”
Alexis Mason
Alexis Mason is a ceramic artist whose work reflects the interplay between humanity and nature. Initially grounded in the practicality of functional tableware, her practice has gradually expanded into sculptural and utilitarian vessel. Drawing on influences of biomimicry and animistic traditions, she combines hand-building and wheel-throwing techniques to explore transformation, connection, and the inherent vitality within natural forms.
“My work is driven by a quiet obsession with the way in which form and material come together to create utility and artistry. As an Associate at JamFactory I am so excited to develop and refine my skills, embrace the creative opportunities that this program offers and to learn from and collaborate with the talented professionals within this vibrant community.”
@by.leximason
alexismason.com.au
Alexis Mason is the recipient of the 2025 JamFactory x Helpmann Academy Scholarship.
Furniture
Oliver Hyde
Oliver Hyde is a Tarntanya (Adelaide) based maker. Oliver ponders the cultural meanings of process in the creation of his objects. He aims to create pieces with a character that bleeds into the surroundings, becoming a part of the singular entity that is the space.
“During the program, I look forward to working playfully with form, proportion and texture while incorporating new processes and materials. An important part of achieving this will be to tap into the expertise of the Furniture Studio personnel and to work in new mediums by collaborating across different studios at JamFactory.”
Glass
Bindi Nimmo
Bindi Nimmo, an emerging glass artist from Whanganui, Aotearoa (New Zealand), graduated with a Diploma of Arts and Design from UCOL in 2022, laying the foundation for her exploration of glass as a medium. She has immersed herself in the glass community through internships at Starworks, North Carolina (2023), and New Zealand Glassworks (2024), which were key in shaping her technical skills. Bindi is currently exploring curiously in her practice, finding inspiration in obscure, organic, and otherworldly forms.
“I am currently focusing on symmetrical blown vessels before exploring abstract designs. I am captivated by glass for its balance of control and spontaneity. Through colour, pattern, and shape, I hope to reflect themes of happiness, nostalgia, and human connection, inviting viewers to share in a moment of emotional discovery. As an Associate I hope to build a strong connection among other artists and disciplines while continuing to develop and evolve my own unique style.”
Bradley East
Bradley East is a multidisciplinary artist, curator and designer. Working both as a glassblower and engraver, Bradley’s work prioritises a process-based approach to making, where function comes before form, and where form is refined and simple while surface is multifaceted and complex.
“I’m as interested in the ‘what’ about an object as the ‘why’, I believe design is emotional and influences us profoundly and individually. I have joined JamFactory to refine and expand my visual language in the hopes of creating work that resonates now and into the future.”
Hugo Curtis
Hugo Curtis, a second-generation glass artist, was raised in and around glass art. He first tried glassblowing at age 12 and instantly fell in love. Since then, he’s been honing his skills, creating small works, and experimenting with production and larger exhibition pieces.
“Working with glass is like a dance, too hot, it collapses; too cold, it cracks. You guide it, not force it. Things will break and all you can say is such is life and learn. JamFactory has the best hands-on learning to allow those mistakes and learn from them.”
Jewellery and Metal
Connor Feltus
After graduating with a degree in Art History, Connor began learning metalworking techniques at JamFactory before moving to Spain to study collections throughout Europe. Connor’s practice revolves around synthesising his academic background with his needs as an artmaker. He incorporates traditional techniques into contemporary work as a way of achieving “preservation through practice.”
“Hammering, melting, and carving not only draw me further into the materiality of what I do, but also toward a deeper consideration of past and present, theory and practice, and the ways that visual languages can interact across time. This exploration of artmaking as art history fieldwork is something that only JamFactory could facilitate.”
Renee Becker
Renee Becker is an emerging Jeweller and maker from Naarm (Melbourne). Since graduating from Melbourne Polytechnic in 2023, she has cultivated her personal practice while curating group exhibitions, including ‘Senti-metal’ at Radiant Pavilion. Drawing inspiration from life’s subtleties, she blends humour and heartfelt sentiment into her work.
“Through my practice, I hope to offer a genuine reflection of life’s balance and encourage a playful appreciation for the richness and levity found in everyday moments. I look forward to expanding my jewellery practice and exploring more conceptual objects at JamFactory.”
Jasper Goldney
Jasper Goldney is a jewellery designer with a curiosity and passion for natural history. Playing with mixed metals and drawing from a range of cultural and historical influences, he creates jewellery that tells a playful narrative and often acts as an homage to the intricate beauty of life on Earth.
“I feel addicted to the process of discovering and learning new skills, and I’m excited to experiment as much as possible this year with new techniques to broaden my arsenal. Being in such a contagious creative environment energises me to explore new ideas and push my practice to new frontiers.”
