Heba Barazi | The Violet

Artist: Heba Barazi, Arizona
Materials: sterling silver, polymer clay, sim citrine
Size: 7

Artist Statement: 

My violet, do not embarrass me
Your almond tree is now beyond my reach
I cannot afford your peaches..
I have nothing to give
To love..
Except the neighing of my sorrows..

Poet Nizar Qabbani

This work is part of the 'Syria..told through rings' story, a collection of rings inspired by poet Nizar Kabbani who wrote 'I am a ring jeweled by Damascus...'. Each ring design in the story is in turn inspired by other poetry verses romanticizing the beauty and nature of the Syrian land. With this story, I am trying to remind people that Syria is not just war, it is a rich land of natural beauty and a people with a long history of literature and culture.

Artist Bio: Heba Barazi is a Metalsmith and polymer clay artist. A thirty years resident of the state of Virginia, she is currently living and working in Chandler, Arizona. She is a self-taught artist who was able to hone her skills by participating in Masters workshops. Heba established an independent art studio in 2011, specializing in narrative jewelry. Her work has been juried into exhibitions across the USA and internationally. She was shortlisted for the 2016 International Emerging Artist Award and was honored with the 2016 Arrowmont/Crafthause Scholarship for Metalsmithing. Her work was published in several books including the famous “Narrative Jewelry: Tales from the Toolbox” by Mark Fenn, a collection of 241 of the world’s foremost narrative jewelry artists.
Heba is an educator and mentor, teaching art workshops regularly at art organizations and museums. Her art education articles are published in magazines, and she is a regular invited speaker in art conferences. She maintains an active studio practice making and selling wearable art objects online and through local and international retail galleries.

Watch a video of this ring HERE! (coming soon!)

This ring was part of Battle of the Rings: Ring Smackdown 2024, an online exhibition and competition. View the entire collection HERE, view the matches HERE, and learn more HERE.