Kate Murphy
Jewellery and Metalwork BA
National College of Art and Design Dublin
Graduates: 2026
Specialisms: Jewelry / Silversmithing / Accessories
My location: Dublin, Ireland
Kate Murphy
First Name: Kate
Last Name: Murphy
University / College: National College of Art and Design Dublin
Course / Program: Jewellery and Metalwork BA
Graduates: 2026
Specialisms: Jewelry / Silversmithing / Accessories
My Location: Dublin, Ireland
About
Kate Murphy is an Irish contemporary jewellery designer and recent First Class Honours graduate of the Jewellery & Objects programme at the National College of Art and Design (NCAD).Her practice is inspired by the natural protective armour of animals, drawing from forms such as the claws of a badger, the horns of an antelope, and the shell of a beetle. These biological defence mechanisms, both in their physical structures and behaviours, are translated into contemporary wearable jewellery. The resulting pieces are sleek yet uncompromising, creating wearable statements that balance elegance with strength.Through her work, Kate explores the innate human instinct for self-protection. Her jewellery reflects the ways we shield ourselves from perceived threats, whether physical or emotional, including vulnerability, embarrassment, and exposure. By transforming natural armour into contemporary adornment, her practice invites wearers to consider jewellery as both a symbolic and empowering extension of the body.
Go Faster, Bite Better is a jewellery collection inspired by natural protective armour in animals, such as the claws of a badger, the horns of an antelope, and the shell of a beetle. The work translates these defence mechanisms — both forms and behaviours — to inform and inspire the collection. Aesthetically, the work appears sleek yet harsh: a wearable statement. The work highlights our biological need to protect ourselves from perceived danger, whether that danger is embarrassment, vulnerability, or exposure. Go Faster, Bite Better aims to celebrate the survival adaptations seen in animals and transform them into a collection of contemporary, wearable jewellery. By reimagining these organic forms, the pieces become symbolic extensions of the body, representing strength, resilience, and control.
Competitions
