Bex Simon – Artist Blacksmith – Biography
Bex’s career as an artist blacksmith started by working with clay and fabrics whilst undertaking a Foundation in Art at the Surrey Institute. Whilst attending a demonstration of forging and welding by blacksmiths, she instantly recognised blacksmithing was a skill she had to explore and incorporate into her art work.
“I’m fascinated by the fact it is such a hard industrial material which can be manipulated into apparently soft flowing organic forms yet still maintains its robust characteristics.”
It was around this time that Bex discovered her main influences and developed her unique organic style.
“My inspirations are nature, textures and the environment, also the Art Nouveau movement and artists like Gaudi and Lalique. Gaudi has been a major influence on me. I just adore his work and how he takes shapes from nature and uses them as a template for a design, something I incorporate into my own design process.”
Bex went on to gain a Degree in 3D Design from the Surrey Institute working in metal before going on to achieve a National Certificate and a Diploma in Blacksmithing from Hereford College of Technology.
In recognition of Bex’s potential as an up and coming artist blacksmith she has been awarded two bursaries from the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths and a ‘starting up’ loan from the Prince’s Trust to help kick-start her career.
Bex began trading as an artist blacksmith in 1999 and has since gone on to create bespoke pieces of functional art for countless happy clients.
“Design is an important part of my work. I enjoy developing ideas with my clients to produce a piece that is unique to them”.
BexSimon Collections – a new brand in retail
Bex has always wanted to design and produce products for retail that would be accessible to more people. Having already established herself as recognised artist and blacksmith, a fantastic opportunity arose when an email came through inviting her to apply to participate in a prime time TV show which was to be broadcast on BBC One.
The show involved fragrance guru Jo Malone helping eight talented entrepreneurs take their big ideas from ‘the kitchen table’ to the high street dreams of retail in four, one hour episodes. Bex chose to design and produce a Pestle and Mortar as her first forray into retail product design. The whole design process, filled with the trials and tribulations of a new venture, was filmed over two months.
Since the film aired on BBC One Bex has split her business in to two companies, BexSimon Ltd for bespoke metal work projects, and BexSimon Collections Ltd, a branded retail supplier. These companies are now headed by Bex and her husband Dave.
“This is fantastic news for the business as I have the vision and drive, and design knowhow, whereas Dave has contractual and technical knowledge and experience from working as a building surveyor and a financial background from running his own business. But, most importantly, we both share the same passion and excitement for BexSimon products, so together we are well on our way to establishing BexSimon as a household name and British brand.” Bex Simon, Managing Director
