Rate My Professor Elizabeth Shaw

Dr Elizabeth Shaw is a Senior Lecturer at the Queensland College of Art and Design, Griffith University, within the Arts, Education and Law group. She serves as Program Director for the Graduate Certificate in Visual Arts and Master of Visual Arts, and as Convenor of Jewellery and Small Objects. Her professional practice as a contemporary jeweller and metalsmith centres on ethical and environmental concerns, exploring the social and cultural values, meanings, and roles associated with objects of material culture. Shaw exhibits, curates, and writes regularly, addressing topics such as the aesthetic of repair, honesty in materials, reuse of metals, and the significance of handmade objects in contemporary society. She maintains a solar-powered studio utilising hand tools and 100% recycled materials, often repurposing discarded and broken items to challenge cultural material priorities through collaborative initiatives and material culture theory.

Shaw holds a Doctor of Philosophy and a Research Masters from Queensland College of Art, Griffith University. Her career includes longstanding involvement as an artist since 1993, program leadership such as the Bachelor of Fine Art from 2019 to 2021, and service on boards of state and national craft organisations. She is a member of the Advisory Council of Ethical Metalsmiths and participates in university committees, including the Human Research Ethics Committee with a term extending to 31 December 2027. Shaw contributes to sustainability efforts through the Green Impact team and teaches specialised courses such as Jewellery and Small Objects: Repetition and Small Objects Lost Wax Casting. Her creative research outputs encompass artworks like 'Diego, Don Tom and Ann' (2023), 'Fidgeting Eyes' (2025), and participation in international exhibitions including 'Swords into Ploughshares: Knives into Jewels' at Glasgow School of Art. She has curated events such as the Green Jewellery and Objects Symposium and supported graduate exhibitions in Rome.