Wearable Art Blog

Ayaka Nishi Jewelry Inspired by Nature

Ayaka Nishi is inspired by the beauty found in nature. A native of the mostly rural Japanese island of Kyushu, she designs striking pieces that reflect the shapes and forms of the flora and fauna of her childhood home.

I just love her leather fish scale pieces, which come in varying shades of red, green and black.

The neck piece below has added drama with large prongs of what what look like fish bones.

 

Short Green Fish Scale Necklace: leather, lava beads, sterling silver, yellow bronze

Nishi also carries out the fish scales motif in these deceptively simple but elegant earrings.

Red Fish Scales Earrings

Nishi is also interested in anatomic design and bones, inspired by looking at the images found in the medical library of her surgeon father.

 
Long Gold Spider Web Ring: gold-plated bronze with diamond

These are intriguing pieces, below, aren't they? The red coral is set off against the golden honeycomb for an unusual juxtaposition.

 

Honeycomb Natural Red Coral Earrings: gold-plated gold with diamonds

I also like the variety of colored metals and textures that Nishi uses in this Melange Triangle Necklace below. 

Melange Triangle Necklace: sterling silver, yellow and white bronze

Here's a nice photo of Nishi, wearing one of her honeycomb and lava bead creations.

Nishi has a fascinating background. While a student studying Art History and Esthetics in Tokyo, Nishi also studied at the Japanese Jewelry Craft Institute. After graduation, she moved to New York where she studied jewelry design at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She decided to stay in New York and pursue a career in jewelry design.

You can see more of her work at Ayaka Nishi. Or, you can buy her jewelry at NOT JUST A LABEL.

 

FERROUS at Velvet da Vinci

Check out these very accomplished jewelry artists whose works are now at Velvet da Vinci as part of the FERROUS show. FERROUS, a chemical term meaning "relating to iron," includes works of over 60 artists who've created jewelry made out of steel, iron and steel alloys.

I've chosen a few works for you that photographed especially well and that cross a variety of styles. These are among the more striking works in the show. Admittedly, I favor those with obvious curb appeal over pure artistic expression.

Iker Ortiz (Mexico): Ring (silver, stainless steel and citrine). Ortiz, who is a third generation jeweler, began his studio in 2004. I love the simplicity of the geometric shapes and the contrast of the yellow citrine with the metals. 

Sondra Sherman (United States): Study Valeriana Brooch. Associate Professor in Art Jewelry at San Diego State University. Her work is held in many museum collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. This brooch looks like a complex carving that's sprouting flowers.

 

Kat Cole (United States): Summit Catalog of Belongings Neckpiece. Cole uses found materials collected in places where she's lived to reflect the unique aspects of each. This neckpiece has a nice playful quality -- simple, light, fun.

 

David Choi (United Sates): Bracelet (steel) from his graduate portfolio (2011) (State University of New York). The gorgeous color and rugged shape make this an eye-catching piece.

Tore Svensson (Sweden): Tube Ring (etched and painted steel). Svensson's work, or what he refers to as his "sculptures," reflect his love of geometry, working with steel or iron and painting. I love the color contrast here.

Did you ever think that iron and steel jewelry could be so pretty? I'm not sure that I would have made that association before viewing the pieces in this show.

You can see more at Velvet Da Vinci.

 

 

 

 

Clutches by Bea Valdes

Bea Valdes, a young designer from the Philippines, is a bead aficionado who's quickly made her mark in the fashion world with her flashy beaded bags and emphasis on craft. Check out some of her amazing work here.

Maharlika Evening Bag with peacock feathers

Valdes, who was born into a family of jewelers, comes from Manila. She left there to study interior design in London, and returned to the Philippines to work in 1997.

Deciding to make her beadwork hobby her profession, Valdes launched her label in 2004 in the Philippines.

Oshima Clutch Bag made of leather and crystal beads

Valdes, who creates all of the designs, works with the artisans on new ideas and techniques. Each bag is made by Filipino artisans at Valdes' Manila studio and can take up to eight weeks to complete. Valdes has over 40 craftspeople working for her.

Mini Melusine Bag made of leather

An interesting angle is that Bea's mother manages the artisans and Bea's sister helps to run the business, aiming to get Valdes's work noticed by internatonal fashion magazines and sold at some big retailers, like Barneys and Saks Fifth Avenue. 

Mercedes Bag made with labradorite, crystals, beads, sequins, feathers.

Besides the variety of appealing designs, I like that Valdes is more interested in the craft and design than churning out bags. She explains: "The nature of our work isn't geared towards thousands of pieces, but a few that are unique." Spoken like a true wearable artist! 

You can see more at Couture Lab.

 

 

Repoussé Jewelry by Linda Kindler Priest

Here's some beautiful artistic jewelry made with ancient techniques. Linda Kindler Priest has mastered the technique of repoussé, which traces its roots to the Bronze Age (3500 to 1200 BC).

The first three examples below are from Kindler Priest's latest series, Brooches in 2 parts. Each pairing includes two pieces that are made to complement each other but can be worn alone.

 

'Twilight Run' cheetah brooch in two parts. Top: gold repoussé with blue sapphires. Bottom: Blue sapphires, lapis, oxidized silver.

The artist explains: "The imagery is done by sculpting into metal, in relief form, using an ancient process called repoussé. I have made or reshaped over 100 tools to do this...."

Kindler Priest actually pushes the precious metal (usually gold) out from behind to create the sculpture.

 

'Sea Wanderer' fish in two parts. Top: gold repoussé with Biwa pearl. Bottom: Ocean jasper with gold and diamond foam or seaweed. 

Each piece is about an environment with living things, reflecting her love of animals, birds and fish.

'Afghan Hound' two-part pin/sculpture. Top: gold repoussé. Bottom: Oxidized sterling silver filigree with sapphires and blue topaz crystal slab.

Kindler Priest graduated with honors from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and is the recipient of multiple awards for her jewelry and silversmithing.

One of the things I like about her work is that even though she's using precious materials, Kindler Priest's designs are informal, asymmetrical, and even tinged with a bit of humor. They're imperfect, while being engaging. Not what you would expect for objects made with gold and precious stones.  

Winged Lion brooch in a brooch. Gold repoussé lion with diamonds inside silver frame with amethyst, topaz, and pearls.

Right now, Kindler Priest's work is showing at the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, Massachusetts as part of Adornments and Delights: Five Jewelers Courting Nature show.

You can see more at Linda Kindler Priest or Aaron Faber Gallery.

 

 

Spring Hats by Robyn Coles

Spring is just around the corner, and Welsh milliner Robyn Coles is in demand. Check out these lovely hats from her 2013 spring collection, her second.

Coles began making hats for her friends in a spare room after she lost her day job. Less than a year later, at the London Fashion Week 2012, she made a splash debut by having nude models of various shapes, sizes, and ages -- including a very pregnant model -- parade her hats down the runway.

Despite being a creative milliner and having worked for some big names in fashion, Coles' college degrees are in politics and economics. Beneath the academic work, she had a strong need to express her creativity -- and lots of drive.

Coles recently opened up a hat studio and boutique in the Cardiff Castle Arcade (UK). According to her website, she can barely keep up with the orders for the spring collection.

I love the elegant simplicity of these hats. They just scream early spring, don't they, with their green backdrops and white flowers?

You can see more at Robyn Coles Millinery.