The Gilded Coast Team
Gilded Coast is a small family gilding studio based in South Wales.
Our small creative business was started during lockdown as a way of keeping productive and to enjoy the positive benefits that being creative brings.
Driven by our passion for Verre Eglomise (reverse glass gilding) coupled with a deep love and connection to our coastline close to home Kia, Sue and Isabel established our studio in 2021.
“We are all very lucky to live close to our wonderfully rugged South Wales coastline and have spent many hours of our lives walking the coastal path in all weathers exploring the many and varied beaches nearby. The area fills us with inspiration on a daily basis”.
During the same year, by serendipity, the collaboration with Lewis from Kempsy Art, a brilliant French-trained stonemason, emerged through a shared aesthetic and a deep rooted sense of place.
Together, using traditional time-honoured techniques we create beautiful objects hand-carved by Lewis from Welsh stone, then gilded with precious metals by Kia, Isabel and Sue.
Although both businesses operate independently we also collaborate on a number of ranges. Through this collaboration we have found a shared desire to create unique, bespoke artworks using natural materials inspired by our coastal surroundings. We are proud to share with you our distinctive artworks made entirely by hand using traditional craft skills and methods. No two items will be the same and we believe they will become family heirlooms.
Each item is supplied with a certificate of authenticity dated and signed by the carver and gilder. It details what precious metal is used on each piece.
Where the Sea Meets the Sky
Where the Sea meets the Sky is ethereal and sometimes elusive. The patterns in our glass artworks are generally abstract and the natural colour palette features colours drawn from the earth and the sky. The carvings are influenced entirely by the coastline with some being simply carved into stone and other materials, others are adorned with gilded finishes using a variety of precious metal leaves.
Influences and design themes include the following:
· The Rugged South Wales Coastline
· Sea creatures from the sea
· The texture and patina of stone dropped from the stars at night
· The everchanging sky
· Deep space
· Images from the Hubble Telescope
· Supernovas
· Galaxies
· Stars
· Shifting elusive colours
· Sophisticated simplicity
Meet the Team
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Kia Govani
Kia is a self-taught artist who has a love of specialist finishes and abstract gilding techniques. She draws her inspiration from spirituality and nature and is very keen to express this in her art. She is very hands on in the business creating glass artworks and gilding the beautiful stone carvings.
Kia currently also works with children and has plans to pass on her gilding knowledge and techniques to inspire the children’s creativity and curiosity. Gilders of the future!
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Sue Govani
As well as being very involved in the general management of Gilded Coast, Sue is also the owner and director of well established business Gold Leaf Supplies based in Bridgend who supply the gilding materials and technical knowledge to help this new business develop. Sue is also very hands on with the practical gilding aspect as she has always had a passion for artistic techniques and applications.
Sue’s background is in Art and Design, with that she brings with her a unique set of skills and creative ideas to the business.
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Isabel Barriga Brown
Isabel joined Gilded Coast a few months after it’s launch. She has always been creative and has become a very hands on gilder and glass artist.
Isabel has a background in finance and systems and she has put together our website and online shop pulling in the designs from Chil3. She also works full time for Gold Leaf Supplies with Sue as an accounts assistant.
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Lewis Kempsy
Lewis is a talented artist and stone carver having honed his stone masonry skills whist living in rural France.
Now living in the Vale along the Welsh coastline with his family, Lewis takes his inspiration from his rugged surroundings.
He carves mostly into blue lias limestone found in the area and sourced from a local stone reclamation company from the rockfall on local beaches. Lewis also carves into slate and wood.
Testimonies
“So pleased with my gilded verre eglomise mirror @gold_on_glass bespoke handmade”
— D Rees
“What a beautiful gift a very special friend has surprised me with. Thank you so much, we love it!”
— R Walker
“Thank you sooo much. I LOVE my octopus!”
— A Jones
“I got in contact with Gold On Glass and asked if it was possible to make a piece with a dolphin on as a wedding present. Kia was a joy to work wit hand I am so pleased with how Lewis has done it! Cannot fault the service.”
— A Rankin
Follow our journey!
