Friday Findings Spotlight On: emiko-o of rewarestyle

Friday Findings Spotlight On:

emiko-o of rewarestyle

This week, I thought it would be nice to take a week off from promos and giveaways to show you the work of a jewelry artist whose pieces will just make you say: Wow! Today, the Friday Findings spotlight is on emiko-o, and she is an indie designer who lives in San Francisco and runs an online shop called rewarestyle.

emiko-o's work is an inspired mix of urbanized haute-couture and just plain fanciful fun--she creates one-of-a-kind jewelry using both precious metals and recycled materials (yes...those are LEGOs!). emiko-o is also in the middle of her first solo show at the San Francisco Museum of Craft+Design, and I thought it would be a great opportunity to learn more about her and her amazing designs. Here's what she shared with us:

emiko-o, I imagine that visitors have a variety of reactions when they first see your collections. How would you characterize their response to your jewelry and how do you feel about it?

Time and time again what everyone says is,“Wow, I didn’t know that LEGO came in those colors!” With My First Royal Jewels Jewelery Collection, people don’t immediately realize that the necklaces are made from LEGO. The museum environment creates an aura of preciousness around the pieces that tricks your eye (Unless, of course, you are a child or young adult male...these two groups seem to be able to sense a LEGO product from across the room).

Queen Margherita
My First Royal Jewels Jewellery Collection 2007
designed by emiko oye of rewarestyle

This exhibition is special because it invites people to become active participants; unlike most art shows, this one encourages people to touch/wear pieces and take a digital photo of themselves via the museum’s computer. You can see photos of the public wearing my collection at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sfmcd/sets/72157608442066460/.

At the show, gloves are provided and must be worn, as natural oils in our hands can damage artwork over time. It was really important to me to educate the public on how to handle artwork and to instill a level of respect for items and also to spark discussion on the concept of value/preciousness in our culture. Just because something is not made from diamonds or platinum, doesn’t mean that it is any less precious or valuable. Often times what we hold dearest to our hearts are things that hold some sentimental/nostalgic memory. Such as LEGO.

The best part for me in witnessing people take in this work is, once they realize it is LEGO, their entire demeanor changes. It is the perfect icebreaker, no matter where I am—the museum, the bank, grocery store, bus. They soften, get excited, eyes light up, and you can see them being transported to another time in their lives. Memories flood to the surface. People begin to offer up stories about childhood or raising their kids; they have a direct link in being able to relate to my artwork. I absolutely LOVE it!

What are some of the challenges that come along with doing a solo show like the one your currently doing at SF Museum of Craft+Design?

This was my first solo show; the opportunity arose so quickly that I didn’t really have time to process what it really meant. I was asked in June of this year if I would be interested in having a show in October. And it wasn’t until mid-August that I was able to focus hardcore on putting it together; creating the collection as well as the display. The latter being the most difficult challenge for art jewelers. A successful display doesn’t distract from the artwork, but shows it off to its best. My favorite installations are where the artist has created an environment for the piece so that it feels like an extension of the piece, or where the display becomes invisible.

In hindsight, I would have spent more time designing my displays, perhaps building light boxes so that the translucent LEGO pieces would be illuminated from behind, and really glow like gemstones. But all in all, I am really happy with how the show looks and how it all turned out. The staff at SFMCD are all lovely people, very easy to work with, especially under tight deadlines. I hope I can show there again someday.

Being able to view your design process through the drawings in your collection really emphasizes the depth and complexity of your designs. What do you love most about your work and your process?

My exhibition pieces are created as commentaries on social or political issues; I feel an obligation to create work that captures a moment in history, acts as a cultural time capsule. Once an issue fires me up, I’ll dive in to researching, getting quotes and inspirational graphic references.

A glimpse at Emiko-o's process.
Her Cartier Blanc piece was inspired by
a platinum, ruby, diamond necklace
designed by Cartier in Paris (1922).

From there, my design process is informed by the materials I use, specifically, repurposed/recycled materials. Setting aside focused “play time” when I dump everything out on the floor and just go to it is the most fun, and is invaluable. I’ll spend weeks in this stage, playing around with the materials, honing in on the design.

Ever since I can remember, I have made art from discarded, mundane items. My favorite place to go for inspiration and materials is S.C.R.A.P. in San Francisco (Scroungers Center for Recycled Art Parts: www.scrap-sf.org). It is a non-profit organization that is basically a warehouse of donated parts from the public and local businesses and manufacturers.

Lately, I’ve been taking the time to document my process, photographing the stages of an artwork, not only for my own archives, but to share with the public. Everyone is curious as to how things are made, and people can better appreciate an artwork knowing how much went into creating it. It opens up a dialogue with people, making the artwork more accessible to the general public.

Running concurrent with My First Royal Jewels at SFMCD is the Jewelry_cycle exhibition, which showcases recycled circuit board jewelry created by the Bay Area Metal Arts Critique Collective, a group that I’ve been a member of for the last 11 years. We discovered how enthusiastic and receptive the public was regarding artist’s process, and so this show acts as an educational tool about e-waste by taking you through the stages of factory to art work. Both shows hope to inspire people to transform trash into treasures, and create their own art from recycled materials at the MakeArt self-serve craft table in the back gallery. I’ve done this workshop on a massive scale for the MakerFaire each spring in San Mateo, and it is so rewarding seeing kids get excited about making stuff.

Want to see more of emiko-o?

SFMCD - My First Royal Jewels Jewellery Collection
When: Oct 17, 2008-Jan 4, 2009.
Where:
San Francisco Museum of Craft+Design (http://www.sfmcd.com)
550 Sutter St, San Francisco CA 94102
An interactive LEGO jewelry installation by emiko-o. Come try her pieces on!

SFMCD Meet the Artists Open House
When: Sunday, Nov 9, 2008-1-3pm
Where:
San Francisco Museum of Craft+Design (http://www.sfmcd.com)
550 Sutter St, San Francisco CA 94102

Join emiko-o and other exhibiting artists for a guided walkthrough tour of the collections. The tour will start promptly at 1:30pm. For more info, visit: http://critiquecollective.rewarestyle.com/exhibitions.htm

MakeArt: Accessorize with Toys
When: Saturday, Nov 15-1-3:30pm
Where:
San Francisco Museum of Craft+Design
550 Sutter St, San Francisco CA 94102

Learn how to turn old toys into works of jewelry art at this workshop designed for kids presented by emiko-o and Shana Astrachan. Advanced registration is required. For more info, visit: http://critiquecollective.rewarestyle.com/exhibitions.htm

Recollections: Celebrating 30 Years of SCRAP
When: Nov 3-25th, 2008
Where:
Market Street Gallery
1554 Market St
San Francisco, CA
Celebrate the 30th anniversary of S.C.R.A.P. with emiko-o, who is one of the invited artists.

rewarestyle (Emiko-o's retail line):
Online shop: http://rewarestyle.etsy.com