Ben Cooke-Akaiwa (USA) - Plus One Collective
Ben Cooke-Akaiwa
Biography:
Ben is a jeweler and metalsmith in Bloomington, IN. He graduated from Indiana University in 2019 with a BFA in Metalsmithing and Jewelry Design. He has supplemented his education through workshops at Arrowmont Craft School and short apprenticeship in Japan. He has participated in artist residencies at the Baltimore Jewelry Center and Arrowmont. Ben has exhibited his work internationally, in The United States, The Netherlands, Germany, and Canada.
Artist Statement:
I have had a long-standing love affair with color in my work. Color is a safe place for me, and I often return to it. Like a jeweler to a diamond, I cannot seem to help myself. Metals have a color to them, yet feel largely colorless to me, the dull gray of the steel I work with begs to be covered. I add the lacking vibrancy through enamels, spray paint, and powder coating. This heavily saturated color palette challenges the innately austere surface of the steel.
This work was developed during my time as an Artist-in-Residence at the Baltimore Jewelry Center in late 2020. The surfaces of these brooches reference mid-century color field painting. The resulting abstracted landscapes do not reference reality but still evoke a sense of place. Perhaps the side of a building, a series of hills, or a dead-end road.
167, 0, 21 2.75” x 3.375” x 0.25”
Mild steel, sterling silver, vitreous enamel, powder coat
217, 160, 2 2.75” x 3.375” x 0.25”
Mild steel, sterling silver, vitreous enamel, powder coat
227, 228, 227 2.75” x 3.375” x 0.25”
Mild steel, sterling silver, vitreous enamel, powder coat