In Conversation with Adi Toch : studio visit

Supported by the Cultural Immersive Student Experience Special Mobility Award, I recently visited the studio of metalsmith Adi Toch. I have long admired her vessels for their bodily weight and soft tactility, and they continue to inspire me, particularly through her playful negotiation of form and function. Experiencing the work in the space of its making was incredible, offering insights into Toch’s material processes and sparking reflections on how her approach resonates with my own practice.

View of Adi’s Desk

During my visit, Adi generously shared insights into her many processes, offering a glimpse into the way she approaches making. What struck me most was the wide range of tools and equipment she has developed and customised for specific projects. Seeing how she adapts or invents whatever is needed reminded me that making is not confined to tradition — it can also draw on the resourcefulness of my wider artistic practice. This reframed my own thinking: rather than relying solely on the traditional techniques I have been learning this year, I realised I could repurpose other skills I already have. In particular, my background in sculpture and ceramics — especially mould making and slip casting — suddenly felt relevant in new ways, and this became the basis of my final MA collection.

Custom made press form

Custom wooden stake

teapot spouts

Another highlight of the visit was receiving critique on some of my own work. Adi’s feedback was insightful and constructive, and I left feeling challenged, with ideas I was eager to develop further. The connection continued beyond the studio, when Adi later came to my university as a visiting lecturer for my MA course at BCU. She delivered a series of sessions on curation that were both practical and inspiring, and I was honoured to be awarded the MA Curators Award by her at the private view of my final show.

Samples from my MA, Wax, Brass &silver plated brass

My Vulva spoon, Silver

Close up of Adi Toch’s Satiated Vessel

I felt extremely honoured when Adi brought out a piece from one of my absolute favourite

series, Satiated Vessel. This striking object subverts the expected form of a carafe, replacing the familiar tall elegance with a playfully squat, weighty vessel and a tiny spout. To pour, you place your thumb inside the opening at the top, turning the act into an intimate gesture between hand and object. Handling the piece gave me a deeper appreciation of its bodily

weight and soft tactility, as well as the delicate surface finish and subtle burnishing around the spout, like a highlight.

A special thank you to Adi Toch for hosting me at her studio and for her generous time and

energy. The visit has become a huge foundation for my MA research and my artistic practice more broadly. I would also like to thank Birmingham City University’s ADM department for awarding me the Cultural Immersive Student Experience Special Mobility Award 2025.

Curator Award certificate