Cooper Hewitt says...
Wendy Ramshaw studied at the Newcastle-upon-Tyne College of Art and Industrial Design (1956-60); Reading University (1960-61); Central School of Art and Design (1969), originally studying illustration and fabric design before switching to jewelry. Ramshaw gained prominence in the early 1960s with her husband, David Watkins, by creating jewelry using screen-printed acrylic and paper. By 1970, she started working in silver and gold in a minimal style that has become a hallmark of her work.
Ranshaw has received many honors. She was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1993, a Royal Designer for Industry, and a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2003, for her services to art. She has also received a number of honorary commissions, including the creation of a gold medal presented to Queen Elizabeth II on December 31, 1999, in celebration of the new millennium. She also taught at the Royal College of Art, London (1996-99). Her work has been acquired by many public institutions, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, the National Gallery of Western Australia, Canberra, the British Museum, London, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto.
