Tall Ships Makers - Introducing Anne Marquiss and Gabi Reith

March 24, 2025

Highly respected local makers Anne Marquiss an Gabi Reith have joined forces to collaborate on their Tall Ships project.

As a jewellery designer it’s always a breath of fresh air to tackle a different design challenge. So, working with illustrator Gabi Reith to create mobiles inspired by the Tall Ships is so exciting and pulls our disciplines together in a fresh way. We’re inspired by Aberdeen’s proud history of being an important port, its fishing industry, ship building and oil industry. Now Aberdeen is embracing all the possibilities of being first in renewable energies which will see us into a green future. These historical institutions and future aspirations have given us lots of references for our mobiles. Gabi has been exploring the whaling industry from Aberdeen and the detailed illustrated stories that seamen carved on bone and tusks. The art of scrimshaw was a common pursuit for whalers on their long sea voyages.

My dad Bill Henderson, was a draftsman at Hall Russell ship building yard and I’ve treasured some of his hand drawings of ship hulls and engines from the 1940’s. Looking at some of the profiles from these reveal how their streamlined forms are so close to the drawings of wind turbine blades and also the curvaceous forms of the whales in Gabi’s drawings. The sails of the Tall Ships echo these aerodynamic curves and hark back to the golden days of sailing ships.

Using these combinations we are prototyping simple forms that will hang and move from dramatic waves and swish from whales tails.

We are using recycled brass and stainless steel, to evoke our chosen industries and are at the first stages of gauging the scale of pieces and cutting out components. We’ll incorporate patterns from both our sources for surface decoration. Our mobiles will be free standing or hang from the wall, reminiscent of signs blowing in the wind over the door of your favourite pub!