Your hometown?
Melbourne, Australia - I love living in the city but still being near the beach.

Favourite type of food?
Lots! Indian, Italian, Japanese & Yum Cha.

Favourite restaurant?
Grand Pavillion Chinese Restaurant in Hampton, they serve Yum Cha for dinner.

Favourite market?
My favourite market would have to be, Shirt and Skirt Market, the 3rd Sunday of every month at the Abbotsford Convent, there are such lovely handmade things there, a beautiful garden and atmosphere, yummy food...Lentil As Anything does a lovely buffet, and there's the Japanese Soul Food Café and the Convent Bakery and often a bit of live music.

Favourite travel destination?
Definitely Thailand, my family and I lived there for Dad's work when I was 8 years old.   I studied Thai at university in Melbourne and have been back many times and again in January this year.  As hectic as Bangkok is it always feels very familiar and like home to me.

Dream travel destination?
Recently I saw some photos from a friend's trip to East Timor and it looks like a really pretty place.

What do you enjoy most about making your products?  Where do you draw your inspiration from?
The most satisfaction I get is when I set up for a market and see it all together as a whole range.  My main product when I started was stationery featuring the handmade Japanese washi papers and this came from an admiration of the amazing craft traditions from Japan from these exquisite papers to ornate paper folding.  I also place a lot of emphasis on colour, I believe bright colours can inspire you to feel happy!

How long does it take to make one of your creations? 
My stationery items take quite a while for one greeting card up to half an hour, as they are all hand cut from hand drawn templates and hand assembled by me.  The pendants and brooches and magnets are a process over a day as there are three or four layers of varnishes that need to be dried before you place further layers on, but unlike the cards I can do a few together.

In your words, what makes your products unique?
I'd say when I have my product range displayed at the market, people are drawn to the colours and detail of the range and particularly appreciate the work that goes into some of my handmade embellishments. 

Your Hometown?
I live in beautiful Belgrave, a reasonably small community at the base of the Dandenong Ranges in Melbourne, VIC.  Having moved here only a few months ago from Coburg (a heavily suburban, almost industrial area), I am reminded every day of the beauty around me, and appreciate every aspect of nature that surrounds me.

Favourite Food?
I like all food!  If I had to be specific I'd throw Greek food and Thai Food in a "Food arena" to battle to the death.  I'd eat the champion.

Favourite Restaurant?
Bimbos.  An amazing bar/club/eatery on Brunswick st, Fitzroy.  They serve full size, gourmet pizza's there for $4.00 a pop.  Those pizza's kept me alive for a good couple of months.

Favourite Recipe?
I make a mean pumpkin, fetta and spinach risotto. 

Favourite Market?
Rose St. Artists market in Fitzroy.  By far one of the best local artist markets in Melbourne, I used to spend full Saturday's there before I even sold there!

Favourite Travel Destination?
Anywhere out of mobile reception range, amongst the trees, with some 2 storey tall speakers shaking the dusty earth with absurd beats will do me just fine!

Dream Travel Destination?
I think I would like to go to Turkey, I would love to explore all the textures and old items littered throughout market stalls and streets!

Making Jewellery
I enjoy unpacking my raw materials.  Every time I find new things to work with it feels like Christmas because every one is so unique! Inspiration comes from within the objects I find, I really like to keep the integrity of the original material as well as draw on it's features to give it a new and exciting life.  Depending on what I'm working on it can take from 1 hour to 12 hours - I love to learn as I create.  It may not be a cost effective use of time, but it makes my job a lot more interesting!

What Makes Your Jewellery Unique?
I think as environmental issues become more commonly known, a whole new approach to art and design is emerging. My unconventional approach to treating materials may cause professional jewellers to cringe, but I find that amazing things occur when you respond to the piece, and accept what it can provide you.

Explore Brent's products.

Your hometown and your favourite things about it?
I was born in Singapore but call Melbourne, Australia my home.  I love living here because it is a fairly large city where one can find lots of arts and sport entertainment but not too big that one can get lost in it!         

Favourite type of food?
I am a bit of a piglet (okay, a lot) so it's hard to pick!  I do love anything with seafood or that is spicy, such as curries.

Favourite restaurant?
My family and I do like to frequent Dumpling King in Box Hill (in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne).  They have delicious dumplings and other fantastic dishes too.

Favourite recipe?
I love to cook Singaporean chicken curry, one of my favourite dishes to eat when I was growing up!  Simply fry off 1-2 Tb (or to taste) good quality Indian or Malay curry powder with chopped onions, minced ginger and garlic until fragrant.  Add a cinnamon stick, some crushed cardamom pods and cloves and a stick of lemongrass.  Then add 800g-1kg chicken pieces, 3 potatoes and 3 carrots, chopped into bite-sized chunks to the mix.  Top with chicken stock, water and coconut milk to just cover the lot and simmer until everything is cooked and tender (about 45 minutes).

Favourite travel destination?
I love going back to Singapore for holidays and I also like travelling to Tasmania for its rugged beauty and wilderness.

Dream travel destination?
Oh, most definitely Paris!  I have been wanting to travel there since my teens, LOL.

What do you enjoy most about making your products?  Where do you draw your inspiration from?
I really enjoy playing with beads!  I love finding a mix of beads which is "just right" for a piece as well as matching beads and cabochons with suitable filigrees and findings.  I tend to draw colour inspiration from naturally occurring combinations while many of my designs are inspired by the Victorian and other vintage eras.

How long does it take to make one of your creations?  Anything interesting about the process that you would like to mention?
Items which feature cabochons can take a day or two to make because I let the glue cure and set overnight to ensure a firm bond.  I like to create my cabochon pieces in large batches for this reason, but it does leave my dining room table unuseable for other purposes since it is the best spot for leaving my pieces to cure!  Pieces which have a lot of beadwork or wire-wrapping can also take a while to make because I am fussy and like to do everything slowly to get it right.

In your words, what makes your products unique?
I like to think that my products are versatile and are suitable for both casual and more formal wear.  I love being able to put on a pair of earrings or a necklace and know that they will look great with any of my outfits!