Body / Motion: Kinetic Jewelry by George Rickey and itoaya

Artist list

George Rickey, itoaya

Rickey’s work has served as a key source for itoaya, and this exhibition will trace its inspiration over time and place, addressing the kinetic possibilities for jewelry on and off the body.

A central figure in the development of modern abstract kinetic sculpture, George Rickey occasionally worked in jewelry. Rarely seen, the artist made these works almost exclusively as gifts for loved ones. The hairpins and earrings on view extend the themes Rickey explored in his larger sculptural work, an alchemical combination of time and motion. These are expressed in sweeping arcs and gyroscopic turns that employ the body as their source.

The principles of Rickey’s kinetic geometry have been fundamental to contemporary jeweler itoaya. She has developed her own possibilities for dynamic abstraction across disciplines. Her works often function in multiple ways: they can be hung as mobiles and worn as adornment, dancing with the body or on the wall. Born in Japan and based in Bangkok, Body / Motion is the artist’s US debut.

This exhibition is part of NYC Jewelry Week 2019 and runs till 20 December.