ABOUT
My story began long before I found out about my love for jewellery. It started when I was growing up on a small Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory where I was connected with my people through hunting, gathering and painting with my father. Before I knew it, my passion for jewellery began.
At nine years old, my curiosity for jewellery sparked when I would visit my grandparents’ house and my grandmother would show me her small collection of jewellery, which were her most prized possessions. She took so much pride in her collection, and it was always so exciting whenever she would show me each piece of her jewellery which had a story to go with it. It’s like her pieces of jewellery each held a memory, reminding her of a time and place in her life.
Years later, a Jeweller who was also a coach at my football club, offered me the opportunity to complete work experience at his jewellery shop. My passion for jewellery grew in the coming months when I started working at his jewellery shop after school or in the school holidays as a part-time job. I went on to complete my trade apprenticeship in Manufacturing Jewellery at the Adelaide College of Arts. Since completing my qualifications in 2008, I have worked in the jewellery trade across Adelaide, Darwin and Canberra.
In 2020, I decided to take a leap of faith during a trying time to set up my own jewellery business out of my studio in Canberra. From a young age, my dream has always been to create my own line of jewellery, mixing high-end contemporary jewellery with Aboriginal art. My jewellery is inspired by my culture and draws on my Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage. I am a proud Jawoyn and Kala Lagaw Ya man and my vision is to express the beauty of my people, family, community and culture through my jewellery.
Thomas Coen Bonson
Owner & Designer
This photo was taken of me by my cousin Jessie Victoria Bonson. This is her description of it:
Family is my support, my guidance, my story and my blood. Family like all these things, is a part of me, they complete me and without them I would have nothing and be nothing.
My grandmother Angelina told me how important family is as we watched my brother’s paintings dry. She said that even though we may come from different mothers or fathers we have the ‘Same Blood’.
This picture is of my cousin, Thomas whose father is my father’s brother. My picture is of my ‘brother’ Thomas showing his support of my artistic practice. He is proud to wear his skin and proud of the blood we share.
I dedicate this work to Thomas Bonson and Angelina George.
Artist credit: Jessie Victoria Bonson
