Following a background in opera and film as a designer and producer, Tanya Bowd combined her skills and passion for nature to create her Candescent project. Her vision was to use the crafts of photography and design to explore current issues, merging culture, aesthetics, ecology and beauty.

Recent projects included Green Gold that profiled Oro Verde (Green Gold) - the first initiative to certify responsibly mined, small-scale artisanal metals. Based in the rainforest region of Chocó in Colombia, Oro Verde works with mining families to ensure that working practices are fair and environmentally friendly, using a method of extracting the gold that does not involve the use of mercury and cyanide.

The project featured jewellery created by Stacey Whale, using gold sourced from Oro Verde and fairly traded gems supplied by Columbia Gem House. Combining design and ethical sourcing with aesthetics, trompe l'oeil artwork by Francis Martin and photographic portraits by Kike Arnal accompanied the exhibition, held at the Art Workers Guild. The exhibition was part of Coutts London Jewellery Week 8-14 June 2009 and Respond! An RSA Arts & Ecology Initiative.

In their most recent Blackwood project, Candescent collaborated with Sound and Fair to celebrate the recent Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certification of the African Blackwood forests in Tanzania, Africa.

Jewellery pieces designed by Tanya were crafted from Blackwood, imbued with fair mined pink rubies from Malawi and laced with eco gold, before being worn by classical musicians at the Sound and Fair concert.

Candescent has been featured in the Daily Telegraph and The Observer.

For more details please visit http://www.candescent.info/.