Topian collection launch at the Lord Mayor’s Parlour

Topian collection launch at the Lord Mayor’s Parlour

POSTED SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

Wentworth Pewter are delighted to announce the launch of its new pewter and concrete Topian collection in collaboration with industrial designer, Steve Anwar. To mark the occasion, there will be a talk about the project at Sheffield’s Millennium Gallery and a launch event at the Lord Mayor’s Parlour, both on 21^st September.

The collection has been commissioned and handcrafted by Sheffield-based Wentworth Pewter, one of the last remaining pewtersmiths in the UK. Wentworth’s skilled craftsmen have brought to life the designs of Steve Anwar from Anwar Studio, also based in Sheffield, who specialises in sculptural furniture using industrial materials.

The collection pays tribute to Sheffield’s brutalist buildings and the use of concrete to make large-scale buildings and social housing in the late 60’s. The name refers to the utopian vision of post-World War II society to build a better world and the dystopian outcome of many of the neglected buildings that fell into disrepair. Anwar himself was born on one such project, Kelvin Flats, in the late 70’s.

The pewter forms, consisting of two vases, candlesticks and a bowl, are inspired by the Wentworth Pewter factory in which they are made and the shelves stacked with tools for making each pewter piece by hand. It can take a lifetime to learn how to do this properly and the Topian pieces reflect this handmade tradition.

Councillor, Denise Fox, Lord Mayor of Sheffield said: “Wentworth Pewter’s new concrete collection, Topian, reflects everything that Sheffield stands for as the heart of the industrial North, with the traditional metalwork skills used to craft the collection and which put the city on the international map.”

Richard Abdy, Director of Wentworth Pewter said: “We’re delighted to have collaborated with Anwar Studio for this collection. It’s not everyday you see pewter and concrete working together as a sculptural form. Steve’s pieces typify our approach to pewtersmithing, combining 21^st century design innovation, with techniques that have been around for hundreds of years.”

Steve Anwar, Director of Anwar Studio said: “Wentworth Pewter shares my passion for Sheffield’s industrial heritage and the role that craftsmanship plays in the city. Each piece uses pewter spinning to the fullest and is quite tricky to make, a testimony to the skills of Wentworth Pewter’s craftsmen to bring my designs to life.”

Richard Abdy, Director at Wentworth Pewter and Steve Anwar, Creative Director of Anwar Studio, will be talking about the project as part of Festival of the Mind and Year of Making: Made in Sheffield event at the Millennium Gallery at 1.30pm – 2.30pm, Wednesday 21st September. This will be followed by the launch event at the Lord Mayor’s Parlour, Sheffield Town Hall. The collection will also be showcased at the renowned pewter exhibition, Pewter Now, Cockington Court Craft Centre, Torquay in Cornwall from September 17^th until November 6^th.