About

CJ Crooks works as a goldsmith and sculptor and is co-founder of ethical fine jewellery brand Pascale James. His jewellery - often described as having a sculptural essence - is frequently modelled on patterns found in the natural world and indeed, his sculpture is set to follow a similar trajectory.

Art and the environment have always been strong influences on his work, starting out his career on a tiny Bahamian island photographing sharks from the world famous 'Shark Lab' (Bimini Biological Field Station), he spent his early career focused on photography as a medium for artistic expression and a subject through which he could provoke a dialogue about the living world.

After several years spent exploring 'Neverland' as he describes living at a shark lab in the Bahamas, he returned to the UK and switched his focus to working with metal. Starting out on the bench and developing his craft over multiple years, he created Pascale James with his partner who designs alongside him. CJ's foray into the world of sculpture began almost immediately upon exploring metalwork, creating miniature objet d'art to sit alongside the jewellery. After several years working as a goldsmith CJ received a rare diagnosis of macular dystrophy, a degenerative eye disease that will likely lead to the early loss of his central vision. In spite of the diagnosis, CJ was propelled to explore his work on a larger scale with a belief that scale through sculpture will enable him to continue his love of creating intricate, detailed works.