Art Jewelry Forum

AJF LIVE: In Conversation with emiko oye & Nikki Couppee

emiko oye ·

Join me and fellow art jeweler, Nikki Couppee for a conversation from inside our Bay Area studios, talking about our work and what we’ve been up to during these times of COVID and Shelter-In-Place. This is a free, live-streaming Zoom meeting hosted by the Art Jewelry Forum (AJF) and moderated by AJF President, Yvonne Montoya. We’ll be taking live questions from the audience, so please tune in!

Studio visits are a favorite event among AJF members. Who isn’t intrigued by peeking behind the curtain? As more of us are now settling into “shelter in place” mode, AJF would still like to continue its tradition of bringing you up-close and personal with visits to artists’ studios and the jewelry we love. We can do it together, virtually—and we’re opening it up to members and nonmembers alike!

WHEN: Thursday, June 18th, 9-10am PST

Listen to the recording here:  https://artjewelryforum.org/ajf-live-with-nikki-couppee-emiko-oye-0

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Nikki Couppee is originally from Pensacola Beach, Florida and is currently residing in the San Francisco Bay Area.  She received an M.F.A. from Kent State University, Jewelry/Metals, Kent, Ohio, 2011 and a B.F.A. from the University of Georgia, Athens Georgia, Jewelry/Metals, 2007.  Her work has been featured in publications including American Craft, Allure Australia, Marie Claire Australia, Metalsmith Magazine, Modern Magazine, Vogue Brazil, Dailycandy and Lark Book’s 500 Enameled Objects. She shows her work nationally and internationally through exhibitions, gallery representation, fairs and recent collaboration for Paris Fashion Week with the Australian designers, Romance was Born.  Her work was selected for SCHMUCK 2018 in Munich, LOOT at the Museum of Art and Design in NYC, Racine Art Museum, and SIERAAD International Jewelry Fair, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.  She has taught enameling and jewelry/metals techniques at Kent State University, The Cleveland Institute of Art and The Crucible in West Oakland.

me and Nikki at NYCJW, November 2019

me and Nikki at NYCJW, November 2019

"Beyond Bling" LACMA here I come!

emiko oye ·

Can I just shout from the rooftops, "emiko o reware is in the Permanent Collection of LACMA!" AND not only that, this major necklace of mine will be shown in a very, very special exhibition,  "BEYOND BLING: Jewelry from the Lois Boardman Collection". Opening is in one week, Oct 1 for V.I.P. (yes, I AM going and I've already picked out my jewelry!) and Oct 2 for the public. In conjunction with the show, a printed catalog is available, plus an all-day Symposium "Jewelry Matters" with keynote speaker, the legendary Dutch artist Gijs Bakker on Oct 1.  See my Maharajah's 6th Neckpiece on LACMA's website.

Lois Boardman is our West Coast Super Woman - having donated over 300 pieces of jewelry from her personal collection to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. WHOOOAA. Thank goodness for collectors such as herself, that through their generosity and insight are bringing art jewelry to major art museum collections. This is how the general public is finally going to get savvy to our field. 

Speaking of saavy, I'm super impressed by the press that this show has garnered. From "Fantastic Plastic" by Abbey Chamberlain Brach (Assistant Curator, LACMA) in Modern Magazine in the design world, to Marie Claire in the mass media fashion world, and Veranda Magazine in luxury living. Lucky me, my Maharajah's 6th necklace was chosen as the poster child for these publications, which couldn't make me giddier with delight! The Art Jewelry Forum, an international, non-profit jewelry organization released an interview by Toni Greenbaum with Lois that should not be missed - I love her answer to the question on collecting: "A person I met years ago, who was the backbone of the Smithsonian collection of folk art, told me that when he saw a piece he loved for the first time, he buzzed. Know the feeling." 

BEYOND BLING: Jewelry from the Lois Boardman Collection
Oct 2, 2016 - Feb 5, 2017
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Ahmanson Building, floor 2
5905 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles CA 90036

London calling - it's a small world after all

emiko oye ·

For as widespread as the Art Jewelry field has grown over the years, I'm constantly surprised at what a small world it really is, especially with more and more artists and galleries active on social media. My recent trip to London is a prime example. Per my obsession with artwork by the sculptor Louise Nevelson, we discovered an art jewelry gallery in the antiques quarter that has one of the largest collections of rare Nevelson jewelry. She did not make many pieces and made them primarily for herself, so to come across a whole lot is quite amazing. 

Rewind about 6 months ago, one of my Nevelson inspired neckpieces, dawning 2, gets tagged on Instagram on the @artistjewel page, a gallery that primarily features vintage art jewelry from the 50s-80s. We have a short convo and that is that. Fast forward to a few weeks ago and I'm standing in said gallery space, Didier, LTD, walk in the door (appointment only) wearing my jewelry, of course, and the owner greets me with "You're wearing work by that San Francisco artist". HaHa! Glad to know that my signature style has crossed continents! As it turns out the gallery is also a member of the Art Jewelry Forum, so they own the exclusive reware LEGO pin that I created for AJF this year.

The next 90 minutes was a whirlwind tour of the history of Art Jewelry by famous artists, being able to view upclose and personal, even trying on a few pieces, like the spectacular kinetic earrings by Jesus Raphael de Soto. What a treat, my brain was chock-full and spinning by the end of our visit. Didier gifted us a few exhibition catalogs as we walked out, which I'm grateful for as a continued resource.

For anyone attending SOFA Chicago this fall, make a point to stop by Didier Ltd's booth, there are treasures to be discovered!