By Sarah Halfpenny Photos Yanni & Supplied
There’s a handmade sterling silver charm in the shape of a cocktail on display at & Independents gallery in Sorrento that will tell you everything you need to know about its maker, 24-year-old Matisse Stynes. It’s whimsical, precisely crafted, beautiful, thought-provoking, and guaranteed to make you smile.
The Sorrento-based jeweller and illustrator launched her brand Éire Jewellery in 2023, and the cocktail charm was her first piece.
“I launched with 40 cocktail charms, and people are still purchasing them. They’re a bit of a favourite,” Matisse says.
The business name Éire, Gaelic for Ireland, honours both her Irish heritage and her late father, AFL legend Jim Stynes, who died from cancer in 2012 when Matisse was just 10, leaving her mother, Sam, to raise Matisse and her younger brother Tiernan.
“My mum told me my dad’s first business venture was called Éire Investments, so I thought Éire Jewellery would be a lovely homage to him and his entrepreneurial spirit that has really inspired me to believe in myself, build a business, build a brand.”
She completed a Bachelor of Arts (Fine Art) in gold and silversmithing at RMIT in Melbourne, graduating in 2022, before heading to London for her master’s degree.
After completing her Master of Arts in Jewellery & Metal at the Royal College of Art in London, Matisse established herself on the peninsula at the end of 2024. “I thought it would be a great place to be a little bit more isolated so I could focus on my business and really get disciplined with my hours, while at the same time living in such a beautiful, serene, peaceful environment, which I felt would be great for making art.”
The Mornington Peninsula connection runs deep. “My parents bought a beach house here in about 2005, and we came here every summer. It was the peak of my childhood; riding bikes, going to the lolly store in Blairgowrie, learning to swim, just playing in the sand.”
Her parents also helped shape Matisse’s own aesthetic sensibilities. Growing up in St Kilda, she attended Mardi Gras parades with her dad, who would dress up with her in matching colourful costumes and wigs.
I loved taking the mundane and making it fun, and this is where my inspiration comes from for my jewellery
“I had a very fun childhood,” she says. “I loved taking the mundane and making it fun, and this is where my inspiration comes from for my jewellery, like a pool donut or the detergent bottle. I love using familiar symbols that people automatically recognise and maybe wouldn’t perhaps think of as a jewellery piece, but then it’s made in such a precious metal.”
There’s a richer thread running through her practice too. While writing her master’s thesis, she discovered that in 1912 during a suffragette march in New York, Elizabeth Arden handed out red lipsticks to the women. “That’s how they started wearing red lipstick – as a symbol of power, independence and to draw attention to what they were saying, which was advocating for women’s right to vote.
“My mum taught me about the suffragettes when I was younger, and I love wearing red lipstick. Women’s rights and women are so important to me. I’d say it’s the topic I’m most passionate about.”
Her master’s collection explored “indulging in temptations and ‘biting the apple’, inspired by the biblical Adam and Eve story, and indulging in that curiosity that women have, that I think should always be explored and expressed, never suppressed or oppressed.”
This April, she’s launching a new collection featuring a one-off statement piece exploring her use of colour on metal, with charms revolving around that piece. She’ll also be making the chains herself, something she’s never sold before.
Quality and longevity matter to Matisse. “All my jewellery is intended to be heirloom pieces passed down through generations, and I hope they always carry meaning and uplift the wearer.”
When asked what she hopes people feel when they encounter her work, Matisse doesn’t hesitate: “Definitely joy. Joy is the overarching emotion that I’m hoping to evoke.”
Her creative process is established in place and memory. She begins by photographing a location, then transforms those images into a collage before creating a final hand-drawn illustration. “Once that’s set, I select a symbol from the illustration and I start moulding it with wax,” she explains. The wax model is then cast into precious metal to create the finished charm, with both the charm and its source illustration available to purchase as a set or individually.
Drawing has been meditative for her since childhood. “I love drawing. I was quite antisocial,” she laughs. “In kindergarten I would just draw, draw, draw.”
Matisse now works part-time at & Independents gallery, learning from director Julie Collins while building her business. She surfs at Portsea back beach, paddles out to swim with dolphins at the Sorrento front beach, and loves the peninsula’s winery country.
“When I think about legacy, and my dad’s legacy, I feel as though I’m living my life in honour of him, because there’s nothing he would want more than to be here right now,” she says. “Growing up, my parents really encouraged me to pursue my dreams and be myself, which I believe I’m doing. So that’s how I’m building my legacy in honour of him, and being as authentic as possible in pursuing my dream.”
See Matisse’s work in-person at & Independents gallery in Sorrento.
IG @eirejewellery and @matissestynes
W eirejewellery.com
As published in Peninsula Essence Magazine April 2026
