Willow Bloomfield creates organically forged metalwork, blending a playful, creative spirit with a deep observation and study of the natural world. He uses traditional, endangered techniques such as hammer forming and repoussé, alongside experimental, research-driven processes. He has developed a distinctive aesthetic language. His work balances artistic curiosity, material sensitivity and craftsmanship.
Their practice is rooted in transformation through material process. Working primarily with metal, WIllow explores how intentional craft process combined with experimental conditions can give rise to organic, unpredictable forms. Drawing on early memories of childhood curiosity and experimentation, they remain interested in the tension and necessity of yielding control, where the intentions of human endeavour “often go awry”.
In 2024, Bloomfield was awarded a QEST Dalgleish Trust Emerging Maker Grant, enabling him to undertake advanced training in vessel raising and repoussé with renowned silversmith and QEST Scholar Rauni Higson. The grant builds on his earlier participation in The King's Foundation and QEST Building Arts Programme, where he first discovered a passion for metalwork.
