Journey Through Time: An Exploration of Artful Adornment and Sculptural Vessels Through the Ages

Artist list

Tamara Grüner, Rebecca Hannon, Mary Heller, Susi Hines, Yong Joo Kim, Mariko Kusumoto, Jee Hye Kwon, Asagi Maeda, Jose Marin, Lucia Massei, Pierre-Yves Paquet te, Claudio Pino, Rie Taniguchi, Yoshiko Yamamoto

It is with great excitement that Mobilia brings you the masterful works of over 50 national and international artists. This exhibition is planned in conjunction with the Society of North American Goldsmiths’ conference. Artists were invited to submit work inspired by a historical piece or time period, or, as an alternative, a collection of their newest work.

Jee Hye Kwon
Conjuring images of architectural forms such as the National Stadium in Beijing City and James Law’s Cyberstructures, Jee Hye Kwon creates works which combine the renderings of an architect with the delicate skills of a master jeweler. Using multiple gauges of gold and silver wire in varied tones, her works are distinguished by their negative spaces accented with reflecting semiprecious stones, creating jewels that are light, airy and fit the body with ease and grace.

Asagi Maeda
Wear a dream, a city, a story — Asagi Maeda meticulously constructs sculptures that are also jewelry. Fashioned from wood, plexi, resin, enamel, silver, gold, semiprecious and precious stones, the work is engraved and painted by the artist with thoughtful narratives about family and society.

Mary Heller
Mary Heller's necklaces exhibit her extraordinary craftsmanship and are inspired by ancient Etruscan jewelry and 19th century revival jewelry by Castellani. The artist alloys 24K gold and uses the historical techniques of granulation, cloisonné enamel and fusing.

Jose Marin
The amazing jewels inspired by Art Nouveau are the newest of Jose Marin’s ethereal necklaces, bracelets, earrings, brooches and rings fashioned out of titanium, gold, oxidized silver, enamel, precious and semiprecious stones. The artist has developed a technique unique to his creations.

Rebecca Hannon
Fulbright scholar Rebecca Hannon creates colorful, sculptural necklaces in complex interlocking forms. This new series is inspired by folk art picture frames. Models are first made in cardboard and then transformed into formica.

Yoshiko Yamamoto
Yoshiko Yamamoto, the recipient of Ford and Mellon Foundation Grants for the Arts, makeselegant pieces that sing with timeless beauty  Her necklaces and brooches of delicately hammered gold and semiprecious stones oflapis lazuli, jade, tourmaline, rubelite,  turquoise and chalcedony beads, are inspiredby Etruscan and Egyptian jewels.

Susi Hines
Susi Hines’ collection of necklaces, rings and earrings are exquisitely handcrafted and based on armillary spheres, used to show the movement of the planets around the sun. She uses high carat gold, silver and Tahitian pearls in her impeccable and wearable jewels.

Claudio Pino
Vibrantly colored stones, pearls, and precious metals are meticulously engineered by master goldsmith Claudio Pino into rings that are both wearable and sculptural. These kinetic jewels will constantly delight both the wearer and viewer.

Lucia Massei
Rich colors and abstract forms character ize theunique jewelry of Lucia Massei. A master of texture  and contrast, she uses gold, gems, and pigments mixed with marble dust to create jewels reminiscent of paintings.

Pierre-Yves Paquette
A delicate necklace of tiny gold bricks accented with spinels, uncut champagne diamonds and a diamond slice center glows with Pierre-Yves Paquette’s geomet r i c detai l s inspi red by architecture.

Mariko Kusumoto
Inventing a new technique of manipulating polyester fabric, Mariko Kusumoto fabricates translucent sculptural forms that conjure images of sea creatures. In addition, her oversized resin and silver rings reveal a plethora of hidden treasures.

Rie Taniguchi
The work of metalsmith Rie Taniguchi embraces nature. Her charming figures incorporate sterling silver, gold, semiprecious stones and ingenious springloaded designs. These playful commentaries on the animal kingdom include wearable elements, like the huskies below, and reflect Taniguchi’s interest in wildlife, the environment and traditional folktales.

Jong Yoo Kim
By assembling, grouping, clustering, and piling, the simple elements become complex, and give rise to the unexpected. As the wearer approaches her work, their perspective shifts and sudden realizations spark wonder, discovery, tension, joy and play. Her investigation of creation, innovation, and transformation questions the definition of value, and provides a never-ending field for invention.

Tamara Grüner
Colourful glass stones, synthetics and pieces of tombac are taken from its past and put together to glistering shapes of art. Their lush ornamentation can first and foremost be found on the metal parts, which are being integrated in their original form in the unique pieces of jewellery. The chromaticity softens their austerity and is enchanting the observer. Scrolls do not seem to be mere decoration, they rather are an essential part of each piece. Cutouts attract the viewer’s glance and invite the eye to dwell.