This October, Christie’s King Street galleries in London will open Lost Forests, the new collection by British artist and jewellery designer Natasha Wightman.
The exhibition, which runs from 9 to 23 October 2025 and coincides with Frieze London, brings together a series of wearable sculptures that explore Britain’s disappearing wild spaces through art and craftsmanship.
Christie’s will also host a series of events around the launch, including the premiere of Lost Forests, a short film directed by Wightman. The project combines environmental themes with fine materials and traditional British techniques, resulting in work that feels personal, grounded, and relevant to the moment.
Inspiration from Britain’s Wild Places
Wightman’s starting point for Lost Forests is her connection to the natural world. The pieces reflect the country’s ancient woodlands, rugged coastlines, and fragile ecosystems that have survived for thousands of years yet are now under threat.
Each design takes on a sculptural form, balancing structure and detail. The main material, ancient bog oak, has been preserved underground for up to 10,000 years. Its deep grain and rich tone hold a kind of geological memory, a reminder of the primaeval forests that once covered Britain.
The collection is both a celebration and a quiet warning. Less than one per cent of the nation’s original temperate rainforest remains. To highlight this, Wightman has paired her jewellery with a series of photographic portraits of young conservationists, showing a generation determined to protect what little remains.
Material and Meaning
Although bog oak is central to Lost Forests, its combination with precious metals and stones creates contrast and depth. The pieces feature black ruthenium-plated sterling silver, 18k gold, and platinum, set with diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires that catch the light against the dark wood.
A recurring motif in the work is the mandorla, a pointed oval shape found in both sacred and natural imagery. It represents continuity, connection, and the space where opposites meet.
British master carver Graham Heeley, known for his precision and sensitivity to form, has been key to realising Wightman’s ideas. His skill transforms the bog oak into tactile, almost meditative shapes that link the ancient and the contemporary.
From Christie’s and the Artist
Christie’s has supported the project both for its artistry and its message. Katharine Arnold, Vice-Chairman 20/21 and Head of Post-War and Contemporary Art, Christie’s Europe, said:
“We are honoured to be launching Lost Forests, the new collection created by Natasha Wightman. Natasha’s vision is singular, and her connection with nature is profound. Through her unique collection, we are invited to question what is ‘rare’ or ‘precious’. Today, only 1% of Britain’s once bountiful temperate rainforests remain, and Natasha places a spotlight on this extraordinary national treasure. Through delicate carving of ancient bog oak, preserved within the earth for over 3000 years, Natasha captures the beauty of our natural world and the masterful craftsmanship that has been honed over generations in Britain. Lost Forests is a collection of wearable sculpture imagined by an artist with great integrity and vision.”
For Wightman, showing Lost Forests with Christie’s during Frieze Week is a meaningful step.
“I am delighted and honoured to be launching Lost Forests with Christie’s, a leading authority in the arts, during Frieze Week and alongside the Modern British and Irish Art exhibition. Creating these works has taken me on an exploration of forgotten environments, native materials, and traditional crafts. Christie’s immediately connected with the narratives behind the pieces, as well as with the value I place on British craftsmanship and the urgent need to highlight our powerful, yet fragile, ecosystems and landscapes.”
A Journey Through Art and Heritage
Wightman’s career path has been shaped by varied influences. She trained at Elmhurst Ballet School from the age of ten to sixteen, an experience that sharpened her sense of rhythm, form, and movement, all qualities that can be seen in her jewellery.
Her practice also includes filmmaking. She has worked with The Royal Ballet, Team GB Olympic Breakdancers, and contemporary dance companies, creating projects that merge movement and visual art.
This cross-disciplinary approach runs through her jewellery too, giving her collections a sense of rhythm and narrative.
Craft and Cultural Preservation
One of Wightman’s guiding principles is to preserve traditional craftsmanship. She collaborates with British artisans who still practise time-honoured techniques, ensuring these skills remain alive. In Lost Forests, this is expressed through the hand-carving of bog oak, an art form as old as the material itself and increasingly uncommon today.
The link between endangered landscapes and endangered crafts gives Lost Forests its depth. Wightman’s work is not only about aesthetic beauty but about recognising the cultural and environmental value of what might otherwise disappear.
Christie’s and the Luxury of Legacy
Founded in 1766, Christie’s has built its reputation on connecting tradition with innovation. Operating in 46 countries with major hubs in London, New York, Hong Kong, Paris, and Geneva, the house continues to play a leading role in the global art world.
Presenting Lost Forests at King Street reinforces the collection’s cultural relevance. The collaboration reflects Christie’s role as both a champion of heritage and a platform for contemporary creative voices.
A Legacy Carved in Time
Lost Forests is not just a collection of jewellery but a reflection on what we value and what we risk losing. Each piece carries with it a sense of continuity between artist and artisan, past and present, craft and landscape.
By bringing the collection to Christie’s during one of London’s most significant art weeks, Wightman creates a moment for reflection on the relationship between art, nature, and legacy.
Exhibition Details
Collection: Lost Forests by Natasha Wightman
Venue: Christie’s King Street, London
Dates: 9–23 October 2025
Coinciding Events: Frieze Week and Christie’s Modern British and Irish Art exhibition
