Yoko Izawa Jewelry
The fiber-art-inspired aesthetic of Yoko Izawa's
veiled jewelry collection appeals to
individuals looking to push the boundaries
of the ordinary and the typical.
Experimenting with unorthodox materials
has empowered this artist
to create a jewelry collection that
addresses her personal search
for the 'elusive and the ambiguous.'
There are spiritual and philosophical
themes running through her personal
narrative and she describes them at
length on her website:
When immersed in creative activities I feel that the sense of beauty and value within my culture surfaces and molds my work. For my means of expression, I feel more comfortable when the work has a quality of ambiguity or transience. My interest has been for sometime in containing, covering, or wrapping things. The search has been for something elusive. The function and material nature of jewellery does not concern me as much as the presence and feeling of an object. Veiled jewellery reflects my assumption that although certainty is often required in modern society, ambiguous expression has been the most distinctive characteristic found in Japanese values and religious beliefs.
The genesis of veiling her work is rather
interesting. Her process begins with
cloth design. Using an industrial-size
knitting machine she transforms Lycra
and Nylon thread into tubular structures.
The mesh-like, ribbed cloth is then
hand dyed, and the entire piece of
jewelry usually will be created
using one continuous piece
of fabric dyed one solid color.
It's not until these components are in place
that she then fills the cloth tubing with
curvilinear shapes cut from
sheets of polpropylene resin.
The process sounds rather unyielding
but the effects are very supple and graceful.
For instance, this monochromatic piece
has an insert that
produces a wavy, undulating effect.
Multi-toned color
combinations are achieved by inserting
different colored pieces of polpropylene.
Each insert adds its
own shape, dimension and variation
of color to the whole.
It's interesting how each enveloped disc
contributes its own subtle color and
a sense of resistance
with suppleness at the same time.
These
voluminous coils are
especially remarkable.
The mesh cloth shows off the
interlaced curves of each piece
in distinct ways.
While volume, structure and texture is what
describes her work,
her aesthetic is what gives it meaning.
Her work successfully evokes a sense of something
ethereal, ambiguous and elusive.
We're inspired by her original techniques
and compelling color palettes.
By combining her signature
surface textures
with unusual shapes,
this artist has created elegant, original jewelry.
We hope you enjoy it as much
as we do.
Category Article art to wear jewelry, cloth jewelry, fiber art jewelry, hand-dyed cloth, handcrafted jewelry, knitting, lycra, nylon, Yoko Izawa
