Tegan Wallace - kiku (菊)

This piece was part of the Yukata Jewelry Show 2022 exhibition. Learn more and view the entire collection HERE.

Artist: Tegan Wallace
Materials: sterling silver, 14k gold-fill wire
Dimensions: 1 1/2" x 3 1/2" pendant, 27" chain

Artist Statement: Sometimes it's nice approach making a piece with no other motivation than to be decorative. This necklace is inspired by the chrysanthemums on my chosen fabric and allowed me some peace and relaxation while creating it. In our current chaotic world, that feels like enough inspiration.

Artist Bio: Metal work is a primal pleasure.
By integrating traditional metalsmithing techniques with more experimental surface treatments, I create jewelry from precious metals and other materials. Using favorite tools – heat, hammers, hands – I fabricate sculptural silver canvases on which I create pattern and texture by alternately adding and removing materials. Pairing graphic patterns with curving silver shapes whose edges would otherwise be undefined, I create a dichotomy between fixed and dynamic elements; the shapes establish boundaries for the patterns. These unique surfaces invite study, asking the wearer to not only put a piece on their body, but to look closely at it, to be moved by it.