Briar is a multidisciplinary artist working under the name Fruit Bowl Studio, crafting a vibrant smorgasbord of jewellery, art, and objects from her cottage in Queensberry. Her work is driven by an appreciation for pattern, colour, and the fantastical—creating pieces that are, in her own words, “a feast for the eyes and the imagination.”

“I make bold, bright pieces with a splash of colour and whimsy that can be lived with on a daily basis.”

A born maker with an instinctive approach to materials, Briar is guided by process and play and will turn her hand to almost anything: jewellery, sculpture, painting, sewing, printmaking, and photography. Across all media, her work consistently explores themes of pattern, organic forms, the human body and vivid colour. Fruit Bowl Studio serves as a creative umbrella, giving her the freedom to express her eclectic and ever-evolving visual language—a style she describes as “vibrant, free-spirited, and a little bit quirky, with a touch of romance and occasional objectification.”

Alongside her own practice, Briar has spent a number of years teaching others how to work with wax to create cast jewellery. She finds deep satisfaction in nurturing creativity in others, helping people build confidence in their ideas and bring their own imaginative visions to life.

Based in Wānaka for over 20 years, Briar has deep family roots in Central Otago. She is a founding member of Artē Collective in Luggate and her jewellery is stocked in a handful of art and design stores around Aotearoa, New Zealand.