ARTIST PROFILE

My work has its beginnings in my childhood home, where I grew up surrounded by Asian art. In retrospect, I have discovered that the qualities I strive for in my work are actually grounded in Japanese concepts of aesthetics. Visual elements distilled to their essence, rustic simplicity, absence of pretence, the beauty of things imperfect, the play of simple shape upon simple shape. These are some of the convictions that inspire and guide me.

I am both artist and engineer. The craft of metalsmithing requires that a piece must be meticulously planned from beginning to end. Using a rolling mill, I inlay rose, yellow and green 14K gold into textured fine silver, then handform this inlayed metal into hollow pillows. It is a multi-step process that begins with using my own template to cut opposite shapes, doming the pieces in a dapping block, shaping the edges with pliers, and filing the pieces flat. The two halves must then be fine-tuned to match perfectly before soldering them together to create the hollow pillow.

In finding the right balance among form, texture, pattern and color, I seek harmony, rhythm and a subtle grace. I find beauty and strength in simplicity.