Jack Cunningham trained at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in Dundee and is currently head of silversmithing and jewellery at Glasgow School of Art where he has taught since 1990.

His interest lies in narrative jewellery and in 2005 he curated and organised maker-wearer-viewer, an exhibition of narrative jewellery by over 70 makers from 20 European countries, which explored the cultural differences between nations.

Describing his work he writes:

‘I am motivated by the construct of our relationship with family, place, people, of recollection and memory, life and death.  I am also interested in the dialogue that is consequently established between the maker – the originator of the artefacts statement, the wearer – the vehicle by which the work is seen, and the viewer – the audience who thereafter engages with the work.

‘I work exclusively with the brooch form to explore these personal narrative themes, which are sourced during numerous visits to Japan and time spent in Glasgow and Paris.’

His work is held in a number of public collections including the National Museums of Scotland and the Musee des Arts Decoratif in Montreal.    He has exhibited widely in the UK and abroad and was a shortlisted finalist for the Jerwood Applied Arts Prize 2000.

He is one of thirty makers exhibiting in The Cutting Edge which showcases the most exciting and innovative of Scotland’s craft work.  The title of the exhibition refers not only to the fact that Scotland is a leader in craft practice but also to the wide range of tools used in craftwork.  The exhibition is on at the National Museum of Scotland from 26 January to 29 April 2007 and then tours to Kilmarnock, Glasgow and Aberdeen.