One of the enduring joys of Potts Point is that no matter how long you’ve lived in the area or how often you visit, there’s always something new to discover. Amid the cafés, restaurants, bars, boutiques and everyday bustle are places that reveal themselves a little more slowly. And Windowsmiths Gallery is certainly one of these.

Tucked away at 109b Macleay St, the gallery and working studio has become a distinctive part of the neighbourhood’s creative landscape. Run by Fiona Meller and Neal Steigrad, Windowsmiths is dedicated to contemporary jewellery, object design and sculpture, bringing a highly specialised art form into the heart of one of Sydney’s most eclectic precincts.

Upon entering it quickly becomes apparent this is much more than a conventional gallery space. Beyond the exhibition/retail area lies a working workshop where jewellery and objects are designed and crafted, with benches, tools, machinery and works-in-progress all in plain sight. Visitors encounter not only the finished pieces on display but the processes behind them, lending the gallery a tactile atmosphere and sense of creative energy.

Fiona describes herself as a real “maker”, and it is a philosophy that permeates the space. “I love the making process,” she says. “The imagining is part of it, but you can think about things in your head only for so long. Once you start making something, everything changes.”

Jewellery became a focus for Fiona around 2006 while living in Western Australia. “Once I started doing jewellery, I really fell in love with it,” she says. “In a way, I didn’t even know I was looking for it.” Silver remains her great passion. “Silver is my specialty. Jewellery and objects. I just really love silver.”

Among her best-known projects is a series called “Wishboats”, delicate sculptural works cast from actual wishbones, soldered together to form tiny silver vessels. The project emerged during a period of heightened public discussion around refugees arriving by boat, with the pieces becoming symbolic reflections on journeys, hope and displacement.

“The Wishboats are all about refugees,” Fiona explains. “It came from the period when we had many refugees arriving on leaky boats. The boats became symbolic of their journeys.”

Beginning in 2023 and since moving to Macleay St last year, Windowsmiths has built a reputation for showcasing both established and emerging artists, with a regular program of exhibitions devoted to contemporary jewellery, object design and sculpture. The space fosters opportunities for experimentation and artistic exchange, with regular workshops and community events.

Fiona is particularly passionate about providing opportunities for younger creatives. “I love bringing in new people, new artists, younger people; people who have never had an exhibition before,” she says.

That feels particularly fitting for Potts Point. Long known for its rich mix of creative enterprises, the neighbourhood has always welcomed people doing things a little differently. Windowsmiths continues that tradition, adding another layer to the ever-evolving cultural tapestry of Macleay St.

Windowsmiths Gallery

109B Macleay Street, Potts Point, NSW 2011

https://www.windowsmithsgallery.com.au/

By Adam Gibson 

Photo by Simone McAullay