OPEN CALL: Jewellers & Silversmiths with Aphantasia - THE ARCHITECTURE OF THOUGHT Exhibition

Venue: Victoria Coleman Fine Jewellery Gallery, Skipton, North Yorkshire
Dates: April 2027 - June 2027

Do you create without seeing images in your mind?

Victoria Coleman is seeking jewellers, silversmiths and makers with aphantasia to take part in an ambitious new exhibition exploring the relationship between creativity, thought and the visual mind.

The Architecture of Thought will bring together creative practitioners who have little or no voluntary visual imagery, people who cannot consciously picture an object, scene or design in their mind's eye, and asks:

If we don't see our ideas, how do we create them?

Curated by jeweller and gallery owner Victoria Coleman, who is herself aphantasic, the exhibition explores how creative ideas are formed, developed and translated into physical objects when visualisation isn't part of the process.

With a particular interest in neuroscience and creative thinking, Victoria is interested in the process behind the finished work.  

Do makers with aphantasia develop ideas in similar ways?

Do we share approaches to design and problem-solving?

And does working without a visual mind influence the aesthetics of what we create, or are our outcomes entirely individual?

This is more than an exhibition of objects. It is an exploration of creative thought, how different minds process ideas and how an unseen idea becomes something tangible.

The exhibition will showcase jewellery/silversmithing collections from each maker, which will be for sale with gallery commission.

It is also of interest to showcase accompanying models, maquettes and sketchbooks to tell the story of how your ideas are formed.

Some makers may never have considered that they have aphantasia. Some creative people spend their entire lives assuming everyone imagines in the same way, only discovering that their experience is fundamentally different.

You do not need a formal diagnosis. If you have little or no visual imagery in your mind's eye and identify with the experience of aphantasia, we would love to hear from you.

We are excited to work with the selected makers to create a thought provoking, interactive and collaborative exhibition.

Our Story:

Victoria Coleman trained as a Goldsmith at the University for the Creative Arts before undertaking a postgraduate programme at the prestigious Bishopsland Educational Trust.

She later completed an Artist Residency at the Glasgow School of Art, where she continued to refine and develop her skills before establishing her own jewellery practice in London in 2010.

In 2021, Victoria relocated to North Yorkshire and opened her studio/gallery space in the heart of Skipton. In 2025, Victoria Coleman Fine Jewellery was honoured to be awarded Retailer of the Year, a significant milestone celebrating the brand’s dedication to independent design, quality and client experience.

Our biannual exhibition programme celebrates independent jewellers whose work demonstrates exceptional craftsmanship and thoughtful design. Bringing together exciting contemporary makers alongside established voices, each exhibition champions the artistry of the handmade.

Through carefully curated showcases, we invite visitors to discover distinctive jewellery shaped by skill, creativity and material exploration. 

Please make sure to read the FAQs for further information.