Gabbee Stolp

With the world in such upheaval, Gabbee Stolp’s work is reflecting the melancholy back at us.

Measuring the weight of grief in the scales of a fish (self-portrait as a rainbow trout), 2022, photograph by Louise Conboy

Whether it is the gentle stitched piece of a brown skua, an Antarctic seabird whose painful form reflects the virus now ravaging the bird world; or the shape of a tuna fish which speaks to the devastation of genocide in Gaza under Israeli occupation, the intentional act of her craft echoes with protest and plea.

Gabbee is a Tasmanian jeweller and object-maker based in nipaluna, and a founding member of the studio State of Flux. A 2025 MAKE Award finalist and Craft Victoria maker, she works across jewellery, textiles and sculpture, using found and natural materials, including water collected from significant places.

Craft has been part of Gabbee’s life since childhood. It wasn't until her mid-20s, following her mother's death and a brother's suggestion she try a TAFE jewellery course, that she saw it as a path in its own right. She now balances her practice with ongoing work as a nurse.

For Gabbee, craft is far from a frivolous, individual pursuit. It is a vital tool for communication and community, preserving culture and telling stories that deserve far greater recognition and support across Australia.

“Amidst the rapid technological developments we face in the world today, things made by human hands seem even more sacred to me,” Gabbee said.  “The pursuit of something made slowly and carefully, to tell a story, communicate an idea, or to enhance our lives, is as rare and as precious as ever.”

Follow Gabbee Stolp https://www.instagram.com/saintgabbee/