Charles Lewton-Brain is a master goldsmith, an internationally recognized artist, author, and educator, and a pioneer in contemporary metalsmithing. He trained and worked in Germany, Canada, and the United States, studying jewelry and metals at leading institutions and developing a lifelong commitment to expanding technical and creative understanding in the field. Lewton-Brain’s work explores the interplay between nature and structure and is deeply rooted in research on compositional systems for metalworking that have been published and exhibited worldwide.

He is best known as the inventor of foldforming, a groundbreaking metalworking technique that transforms flat sheet metal into complex three-dimensional forms through a systematic process of folding, forging, annealing, and unfolding. This technique is now taught and practiced globally, and has broadened the creative possibilities for jewelers, sculptors, and metalsmiths.

Lewton-Brain has authored numerous books and thousands of pages of technical writing on jewelry making, metalforming, studio practice, and workshop safety. His publications include the definitive book "Foldforming," and a wide array of instructional articles that have become core resources for metal artists.

In 1996, he co-founded the Ganoksin Project with Dr. Hanuman Aspler, a free educational website that has grown into the largest online jewelry and metals community in the world, featuring extensive content, tutorials, discussions, and expert contributions from professionals worldwide. His extensive writing on Ganoksin remains a foundational part of the site’s library.

Beyond his publishing and online impact, Lewton-Brain has taught and lectured internationally, including serving as a long-term faculty leader in the Jewellery and Metals Program at the Alberta College of Art and Design. His work has earned national and international recognition, including the Saidye Bronfman Award, Canada’s highest honor for craft, and accolades from institutions such as the British Museum Research Laboratory and the Rolex Awards for Enterprise.

He continues to influence the next generation of metalsmiths through education, leadership in competitions (including the Lewton-Brain Foldform Competition), and an ongoing artistic practice that challenges traditional processes and celebrates innovation.