Spot the Designer - Abbi Marie/ USA

What did you want to be when you were a child?

I wanted to be either a fashion or costume designer…. once I was old enough to realize I couldn’t be a dragon.

When have you started creating jewelry? How did this passion come about?

I’ve always felt restless without a project to make with my hands so I started to make beaded jewelry when I was 10 and continued through my teen years. It wasn’t until college that I started to work with metal. After my second jewelry class I ended up switching majors and never went back to the fashion building. I loved the creation process for jewelry and knew I wanted to be in a field where I was the one making the pieces, rather than just sketching something up and sending it off to be made by someone else. With jewelry I felt like I could have full ownership of what I created. 

What was your first project or significant piece for you and from what point of view?

The first piece that felt significant was “Sarai” that was inspired by a character in the book Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor. This was one of the first pieces that I had carved in school and one of the first I had made with the intent of telling a story. It felt like all of the elements happened to come together in the ring; there was this balance of texture and movement in the form that I hadn’t achieved before, as well as a feeling of weightlessness mixed with something dark. This was the first time I tried to capture a person and a feeling in a piece instead of just trying to recreate natural forms. 

How do you charge your batteries? What other passions and creative interests do you have?

I’m an aerialist and have dabbled a bit professionally in circus on the side. I’ve been training on the aerial silks for three years now and it’s my go-to way to decompress after a rough day in the studio. There’s no mental  room to worry about problem solving or tackling the endless to-do list while hanging six meters in the air; ironically it’s really grounding. 

What does the connection between manufacturing tradition and contemporary design mean to you?

I suppose I’d make the comparison between learning vocabulary and writing; manufacturing techniques are the words and once you learn them you can tell any story you want. I prefer using and learning traditional craft techniques, in part because it feels like I become part of a practice that has been used for centuries or millennia. 

Is there a self-portrait piece that speaks most about you?

“I’d Rather be the Dragon than the Damsel” is what feels the most “me” right now. It’s the last piece in a companion series to the one being shown in Romanian Jewelry Week that focuses on my own past battles with eating disorders. It captures my younger self that was more vulnerable and naive evolving into someone who can fend for herself. Despite the more serious backstory it also just shows my quirkier side… it’s a bunny-dragon. 

Which material have you not yet used is a temptation and a challenge for you?

I haven’t worked much with stones and would really like to learn how to make non traditional settings.

How was the pandemic period for you as a jewelry designer?

I was in the midst of finishing my BFA so it was fairly stressful with courses going entirely online. I was lucky that I already had my own studio space independent from school, so I was able to continue creating pieces. But it was difficult going from a communal studio environment where I could see friends and bounce ideas off people to working in isolation. I had a hard time figuring out a new work rhythm since part of my enjoyment of working in the studio was being with fellow artists. 

How do you see the future of contemporary jewelry?

I’ve seen more and more people looking for pieces that have personality and a story behind them, it’s just that they don’t necessarily know where to find those pieces. At the moment the realm of contemporary jewelry is like a hidden room where only those already in the know have the key. I’d like to see a platform that allowed contemporary jewelry to be accessed by the general public in the way Etsy made handicrafts easily accessible. 

 Find more about the designer Abbi Marie