Boogie Woogie Beauty by Lucia Antonelli

Artist list

Lucia Antonelli

Lucia Antonelli, acclaimed internationally for transforming found and reclaimed materials into one-of-a-kind necklaces and earrings. For instance, Antonelli is known for unearthing French brass beads from the late-19th-century handbag and reimagining them as adornment for the woman of today.

I embraced the notion of doing a color show with Bakelite, Antonelli said of the lightweight and vibrant synthetic that is a favorite material of jewelry makers. I began breathing, eating, sleeping, dreaming Bakelite shapes and colors. It is a rich and fun material that lends itself perfectly with the tiny seed beads.

For 2018, Allison and Ivan Barnett, owners of Patina, created a series of the exhibition around the theme Seasons of the Soul.
Antonelli arrives just as nature reawakens for spring. Few makers can create pieces that are equal parts ornament and keepsake, yet that is precisely what she delivers – braided strands, vibrant beadwork and feathery tassels.

So many people that I know who have my jewelry constantly tell me how often people come up to them with excitement as they fawn over what the person is wearing, said Antonelli, who lives in Northern California. The calling to create has a much higher purpose. Joy is never tiring. It is a necessity.
 

Activities

Gallery talk on Saturday, May 12, from 2 to 4 pm. Bring your heirloom pieces and visit with Lucia.