Blue Lily Branches - Lily Brooch

Artist: Juan Reyes Hernandez
Materials: sterling silver, copper, and brass
Dimensions: 5"x 2"

Artist Statement: I love flowers. I was appreciating a bouquet of flower on my bench, when I realized one of the flowers in the bouquet was similar to the lily in the fabric I selected for this project. Inspired, I took a petal of the flower, traced it to paper to create the pattern for this piece.
The brooch is hand fabricated from mixed metals. I always love mixing colors in metals, and copper is one of my favorites, for its warmth and the colors you can create from oxidizing the metal.

Artist Bio: Juan Reyes was born in Mexico City to a family of jewelers. It wasn’t until many years later however, that he discovered his passion for making jewelry in a class at North Seattle College in 1993. Juan has been a professional massage therapist since 2004, but has continued making jewelry and teaches casting, fabrication and other techniques in the studio at Danaca Design. His organic designs are inspired by flora and fauna.

Fabric Motif: In Japan, the lily symbolizes many positive things, - bravery, nobility, honor, respect, good fortune, and wealth.

This piece was part of the Yukata Inspired 2024, a collaborative exhibition between Okan Arts & Danaca Design featuring metalwork and collage. Learn more and view the entire collection HERE