The Alchemist's Sister by Kelly McCallum

Artist list

Kelly McCallum

In these works, the hierarchy of the material has been eliminated; she has used not only large, beautiful pieces of Baltic amber sourced from Poland, but also, alongside them, some of the works are made from chip amber, and one can see this if they look closely, they can see the telltale rounded corners where they have been mass polished. The valuable and less so have been treated and exhibited as equals, without the hierarchy. Although this may seem strange or frustrating to amber enthusiasts, I would argue that this treatment of it as a pure material, as something to be explored and dissected, not put on a pedestal and cherished. 

As with much of McCallum’s works, these pieces leave the viewer asking questions, what are the significances of these objects (insects, but in their original forms and dissected and recreated into intricate flowers, nuts seeds, flower shapes all made with different colours and textures of crushed resin, displayed next to each other, begging for a narrative to be explored. The skulls of small mammals are also present, as are small objects that seem to take on some sort of significance. It is up to the viewer to fill in the details and look at these metaphors in a way that creates meaning. 

Although there is a significant amount of crossover in the work three general themes become apparent, insect flowers, which lend the question as to in this fantasy world were these collected or created? Some kind of strange evolution. Then there are the works that include what look like seeds, small fruits, and nuts, both alone and displayed on top of an amber background. These seemingly incongruous objects may raise questions until one realises that they are indeed made of amber as well, which has been pounded to various fine powders and cast into a mould created for this purpose. They are reminiscent of specimens, spells, or even the collections of small children, an association that the artist appreciates as she has always considered herself a bit of a magpie, a collector of things both odd and seemingly plain, to appreciate their unique characteristics. 


Kelly McCallum is an artist who loves creating in a multitude of media, including extremely detailed pieces of jewellery, wearable art, sculpture, and, most recently, painting and works on paper. Her work in all its forms has been and continues to be an ongoing exploration of natural history, narrative, self-made myth, and storytelling.  
She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Rhode Island School of Design in 2001. The following year, she received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Massachusetts, graduating Cum Laude in Animal Science/Pre-Veterinarian studies. In 2003, she returned to Rhode Island School of Design to focus on metalsmithing. A move to London in 2004 saw her begin a Master of Arts at the Royal College of Art, which she concluded in 2006.  

Post-education, McCallum’s works have been featured repeatedly at the Royal College of Art. Her art is held in a number of private collections worldwide, and has been exhibited in countries including Canada, the United States, Germany, France, Portugal, Poland, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Korea. In the UK, she has shown pieces at London's Victoria & Albert Museum, Goldsmiths’ Hall, Sotheby's, Selfridges and Liberty's.
Her major influences include Eva Hesse, Louise Bourgeois, Magdalina Abakanowicz, Mark Ryden, Frida Kahlo, David Wojnarowicz, Annette Messager, and Joel-Peter Witkin.


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