Charles Lewton-Brain

Charles Lewton-Brain is a master goldsmith, author, and artist, who trained in Germany, Canada and the United States. Charles is also a recognized educator having taught not only workshops all over the world, but he is Professor Emeritus from the Alberta College of Art and Design where he served as head of the Jewellery and Metals Program.

Among his major accomplishments was the co-founding of the Ganoskin Project in 1996.  It is the world’s largest educational resource for jewellers. He is the author of hundreds of articles and even has his own publishing company, Brain Press. If you’re not impressed yet, there is more to come! 

He is also the inventor of Foldforming, a method which is internationally recognized as the first new metalsmithing technique to be developed in over 200 years.  

Charles is also a practicing artist and goldsmith and has exhibited his own work internationally since the 1980’s. He describes his work as being concerned with process, beauty, function and the tensions between nature and structure. He approaches his metal works in the way a printmaker might developing individual parts one at a time and eventually combining them in a finished work.

He has received numerous awards and accolades, including Canada’s highest honour for fine craft, the Governor General’s Award in 2012. He was one of the founders of the Canadian Craft Federation, Canada’s national organization, and served as president for over two years.  Lastly, he was the recipient of the prestigious Saide Bronfman Award for the lasting mark he has made in his field.