emiko-o reware

emiko interviewed for SF Chronicle

It’s been a busy press month for me thanks to the fine PR efforts in conjunction with the Palo Alto Art Center’s STYLE 2010 upcoming trunk show, this coming Saturday, April 24! In this Sunday’s SF Chronicle’s Style section, I was interviewed by the lovely Jeanne Cooper about my emiko-o reware jewelry from LEGO (see the pink outlined section in the article above). My Pink Martini bracelet looks fabulous in print, and even better online in the SFgate.com article, where my Mondrian bracelet is also featured (see image below). Check out the online article and photos.

Mondrian bracelet by emiko-o

Also, for all my facebook Fans and friends, you already know about the use of my large LEGO necklaces in the current issues of both Gentry Magazine and Scene Magazine (San Jose Mercury News Spring edition). It’s non-stop but it’s the only way I operate I suppose…

Gentry Magazine April 2010

San Jose Mercury News SCENE magazine Spring 2010

And even Metro Silicon Valley newspaper interviewed me and hit the stands this past Thursday, April 15, which I sadly missed getting being up here in SF (drudging through taxes and the dreaded check writing). Hopefully I’ll get my hands on a copy and can share with you all soon!

Come say hi to me this Saturday from 10am-5pm at STYLE 2010 at the Palo Alto Art Center:
1313 Newell Rd, Palo Alto 94303
The trunk show is an annual fundraiser for the Palo Alto Art Center Foundation. Buy for a great cause, take note from my dear  friend Liz Brown, seen here wearing my silver hubs trio necklace on her way to Chicago!

Liz in my silver hubs trio necklace

Some rapid-fire catching up to do, and can’t believe I haven’t posted this awesome article from California Home + Design magazine Nov/Dec 2009 issue. Writer Mikhail Romain picked my to feature in his Building Blocks article. Much thanks to Raymond McKenzie, buyer at the San Francisco Museum of Craft + Design and my roomie Christine Dhein for getting my image to the magazine while I was in Europe!

Just got my work back from the Minimal Bling exhibition that was at the Society of Arts and Crafts in Boston last month. I was extremely pleased that they used my Maharajah’s 6th LEGO necklace in the promotional materials, including the gorgeous postcard. While I was at SNAG Philly last May I had the pleasure of reconnecting with the Director, Beth Ann Gerstein, and Exhibitions Director, Fabio Fernandez. SAC had first shown my work way back in 2003 when I was doing the Truth tiara series.

For Minimal Bling I made 2 new mid-range pieces to accompany this neckpiece and the Duchess neckpiece (these latter 2 are now at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft‘s Transmutations show).

Pas de trois is a necklace that riffs off my recent Cygne Noir reinterpretation of Lalique’s Women with Black Swans enamel necklace. The pendant has 3 components, the bottom 2 of which are interchangeable.

Twilight is my latest Limited Edition bracelet, which I was compelled to make way before I got sucked into the black hole obsession of a series that obliterated my month of January (hence the lack of posts since early december; I’m 10 pages away from finishing the last book, thank god!). I must say it does justice to books; what would Stephenie Meyer say?

Most of the non-CA shows that my work is in I don’t get the chance to see, but my pal Shana swung by and shot these pics of the gallery entrance, where lo and behold, my Luke and Darth Vader earrings are HUGE on the banner! No wonder those earrings sold!

Well, well, I’ve been a bit slow on the uptake for jumping into the new year; all that sleep during Christmas and New Years is quite addictive and hard to give up so quickly. How did a month go by already (answer: many rainy nights cozy in bed ravishing the Twilight series….)?! Time to get back on the art train before laziness slips in. So many shows this past fall/winter, I’ve missed a few in these posts; catch-up time.

So, one of the most recent exhibitions happening now is Transmutations: Material Reborn at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (image above is from HCCC website). Curated by Susan Sloan, the artists were selected from the book she juried, 500 Plastic Jewelry Designs which was published this past fall by Lark Books. Lovely book and I only wish I could see the show in Houston. Luckily many other metalsmiths will get the chance to see it during the SNAG “going to Extremes” conference in March.

UPDATE:  the Houston Press posted this on Feb 5, 2010

eventful houston Transmutations

In the meantime, I’m enjoying seeing my LEGO necklaces images used as PR for the show. Too bad the red and white Cartier Blanc is not in the show after all (it sold during Sienna Gallery’s show So Fake They’ll Think It’s Real).

HCCC website

Here is the blurb about the show from HCCC’s site:
“Curated by celebrated jeweler, Susan Sloan, TRANSMUTATIONS:  Material Reborn showcases 28 international jewelry artists who transform materials, such as resin, latex, rubber, vinyl, and thermoplastics, into outrageous jewelry and wearable art.  The exhibition includes pieces meant for everyday adornment as well as those that make a larger-than-life statement—some of which are created in combination with more conventional materials, such as gold, silver, pearls, and gemstones.  Stop by the Artist Hall at HCCC to see this stunning array of wearables made from plastic Lego toy parts, precious materials, and found objects!”

Modern Luxury Houston

violette femme pendant and earrings

I’ve been cranking jewelery at the bench this last month to get ready for the holiday season, in particular for the SFMOMA Holidaze Craft Fairs that I’ll be selling at these next 2 Saturdays before Christmas, Dec 12 & 19, from 11:30-5:30. All proceeds go directly to the artists which is fantastic, but means that I can only accept cash or checks, not credit cards, boo hoo. ANYWAY, I’m excited to show my new KIDS line of bracelets ($15-$35) and new Pendants (shown in the photos here, $45-$55)  that have a more feminine flair with a tiny silver chain and just a hint of lego and bling. Come on out to Fort Mason Building A, SFMOMA Artists Gallery, would love to see you!

tire pendant & Mod earrings

My new year started off just right with an order from the Smithsonian Museum stores! A great chance to knock out some new designs for spring (and reshoot some old favs). A lot of it is up on my etsy store, as well as in my New Lego Jewelry flickr set.

Here is my latest color scheme in cafe au day 1×4 bracelet, inspired by an elaborate paper cutout installation by Adriane Colburn, which I saw recently at the Museum of Craft & Folk Art in SF.

My earlier Limited Edition styles, Mondrian and sporty stripe were restyled into more affordable, smaller bracelets.

And, in channeling the warm breeze of spring, which seems to fall upon us in the Bay Area every 3 weeks or so, between our random cold weeks of winter, are ducky 1×4 and baby’s breath basic bracelets.

I’ll keep you posted on when the jewelry is available at the Smithsonian.

My show has been getting lots of attention on the web, I can barely keep up with the thank you emails. It is truly awesome. My favorite post so far has been from an Italian journalist, Anna Battista and her blog: Irenebrination: Notes on Art, Fashion, and Style. See her Oct 23rd entry:

The strangely (and fashionably) therapeutic power of Lego

She covers both my ready-to-wear line and the exhibition pieces. She writes, “Oye’s best pieces though are the ones she has done for different exhibitions and events.”

The day after that, LEGO blogger, Michael Huffman posted my show on his BrickBuildr blog; which is great since I don’t usually hear from fellow LEGO lovers.

Yesterday, the show was posted on Object Fetish, an online jewelry gallery run by Whitney Couch.

Lots of fun, seeing the work get posted. Check out more images on my flickr set, as well as images of people wearing my work on the SF Museum of Craft + Design’s flickr set. Here is a sneak peak at some of my fav photos from the interactive, digital part of my show…

People definitely discovered the Effects in Photobooth. Would be awesome to print all of these and plaster a wall with them….. stay tuned for more people images…

Last Thursday, Oct 16 was the artist reception for my show, My First Royal Jewels Jewellery Collection, at the SF Museum of Craft+Design. Finally, the day had arrived after an intensive, adrenalin-pumped month of prepping, making, photographing, and installing. Wow! I still can’t get over seeing my name all huge in vinyl wall lettering. My first solo show, and boy does it look sharp! It’s so exciting that it has a nice long run through Jan 4, 2009.

Here I am finally taking a moment to catch my breath and take it all in. Salut! Photos taken by the ever-gracious Matt Cantu, who made the digital interactive component of the show possible.

I really dig this angle, where you can see all four pieces, including Maharajah’s 6th necklace (in the mirror).

I feel that people really responded to seeing the process of each piece, through the drawings and historical photo reference. Above is The Duchess 2, based on a Cartier necklace and Harry Winston pendant. Below is The Duchess, based on a Cartier bib necklace.

Luckily, no one tripped over or got tangled in the brass ball chain that secures the necklaces to a fixed surface. It actually adds a bit of jewelry-esqueness which I like.

Turnout was super, considering it was an invitation-only event. Best part for me is observing people interact with my work, especially when they have that AHA realization that: A. They are allowed to try on the work,  B. It’s LEGO, and C. They can take a photo of themselves in that proud moment, wearing the work. And hopefully by the end of next week, these self-portraits will be viewable via the museum’s Flickr account. Stay tuned for more info on that front.

We’re planning on having a docent tour/walkthrough/2nd opening, very casual, sometime in November (tentative date: Nov 9, Sunday). The Critique Collective’s Jewelry_cycle show (see Julian at work!) will also have a walkthrough/tour at that time as well.

In case you’re near Union Sq and want to check out the shows at the museum:
SF Museum of Craft+Design
550 Sutter St @ Powell    SF CA 94102
Open Tues-Sun: Tues-Sat 10-5, Thur 10-7, Sun 12-5

Besides these Treasury postings, Etsy is great for connecting me with fine fellow artists and as of late, Gallery Up in Rock Hill, SC! They contacted me a little bit ago and now emiko-o LEGO jewelry has some South Eastern rep! And better yet, the owner, Tamara LaValla, graduated from Syracuse U’s VPA the same year as me; small small world. Gallery Up just celebrated its one-year anniversary, and for once it’s great to have a gallery owner who is also an artist and understands our point of view, our struggle. Tamara also runs a design business with her husband called, LaValla Maddox Art + Design. So if you ever find yourself near Rock Hill, please stop in and support these guys!!!

Here are some of my pieces posted on Gallery Up’s online store:

Over the weekend two of my LEGO bracelets–Fruitstripe limited edition and kermit slim–were featured in a LEGO Treasury on etsy. Check it out before it expires at 12:48pm today!