Tina Rath/Black Beauty: Brooch 7
Pink ivory wood, fox, 18k gold
Our current show, Something About Love, opened one week before the infamous Valentine's Day. We hope that the show created a more complex and inclusive experience than the holiday we are all subjected to every year on the 14th of February. Because love is for everyone and about everyone the show was our attempt at shaking off the old cliche in order to examine and celebrate the multitude of emotions, relationships, and experiences that fall under that one simple word. If you havn't had a chance to come by, we will be holding a closing reception Sunday March 22 from 12-5. A big thanks to the folks at B Restaurant and Bar in Oakland's Historic District for providing the delicious nibbles at the opening reception.
The show views the concept of love through 3 lenses.
1. The photographic lense of Bay Area artist, Ace Lehner. Ace an accomplished photographer and is currently an MFA Candidate at The California College of the Arts.
Ace Lehner. With an eye for the slightly strange and a background in painting and illustration Lehner uses photography as a tool to re-draw the way we see the world around us. Lehner has produced intervention work and exhibitions internationally including London, New York and Montreal. Currently Lehner is pursuing projects that deal with issues of the power of vision in relation to love and desire, the reconfiguration of family and the emotional impact of deportation.
2. In conjunction with these photographic images, exhibition organizer Anna Adair considers her own practice as a jeweler and thus her role as a maker of objects that symbolize love. Inviting other Jeweler’s to do the same, the show features work by Curtis Arima, Sarah Davis, Nick Dong, Karen Gilbert, April Higashi, Maya Kini, Chris Neff, Jaydan Moore and Tina Rath.
Curtis Arima / Untitled A gardener negotiates the definition of a weed. One can pull out plants prematurely without knowing what they have to offer, or neglect branches allowing plants to become promiscuously overgrown. We often disregard ideas before they grow, plucking them out, rather than transplanting them into otherpaths in our unconscious, later to emerge when they are mature. Dandelions are full of potential to prosper. This piece is dedicated to my dearest Joe as a memento of our many years to come, hope for prosperous times and our love for gardening.Sterling silver, 18k gold
April Higashi / Untitled When I was young, just old enough to start being interested in boys, I heard a poetic line in a story. "As a couple sleeps, the threads of their lives intertwine." I always have thought about that image. As I have matured, I see these threads as both metaphorical and energetic, enhanced and strengthenedwith historic experiences. Like love they are delicate, beautiful and complex, 20k gold and thread
Karen Gilbert / Link Joined together, two things have more depth, beauty and complexity than one alone, Sterling Silver, pyrex, 18k gold
Anna Adair / End of The Line When thinking about love recently, my brother came to mind. The last man to carry our family name, Jeffryes, falling in
love for him holds heavy significance within the traditional patriarchal structure. In making these cufflinks, a pair for each Jeffryes man that has lived within my lifetime, I reflect on ideas of family tradition and societal norms. Each pair pays homage to these men who have meant a great deal to me, while illustrating the restrictions inherent in such a system and thus the importance of allowing for more open ideas about love, family, and relationships., Sterling Silver and enamel.
Maya Kini /Graphite Wedding Bands The graphite rings began as an investigation of the two-sided nature of carbon. I was intrigued by the genetics of the material and how a slight variation could produce a much harder relative - the diamond. Diamonds are so often used to signify durability because they cannot be cut by anything other than themselves. I wanted to pay homage to diamond’s lesser relative by making rings of graphite that literally mark a process of commitment rather than function as lasting jewelry pieces.
3. The third and final portion of the show will display a collection of personal belongings, gathered from Bay Area residents. The objects included will be the result of a request issued prior to the show to “borrow” items that have been given in the name of love.
He began to sew me a love letter but as you can see,
never finished. Needless to say, it didn’t last... Hillary Kantmann
Sandra Enterline gave me these souvenir pendants for my 85th birthday. They contain 85 burnt match heads and one for good luck. I still remember when Sandra gave them to me, she said, “June that’s a lot of cake!”... June Schwarcz
Patrick H. Adair 1922-2000 WW2 Service Medals
Auld Pat, my father’s father
A modest man who would rather
Keep these medals in a drawer
And never boast about the war
But seeing as he’s not here today
I thought I’d put them on display
Ross Adair
The Mix Tape At the end of our first date, Ross gave me this mix tape that he had made for me. I listened to each song hoping to hear clues that would reveal his feelings for me. Ross is a mix tape master... Anna Adair
My grandfather Kenneth Kameo Higashimachi gave this engagement ring to Hisa Claire Morimoto, circa 1926. They were the first generation to break the arranged marriage tradition in their families. Both were Nisei generation, born in Hawaii, him in 1901 and her 1902. My grandfather’s family was from Farmer Class and my grandmother’s was from Samurai Class... April Higashi
Show concept Anna Adair
Co-curated by Anna Adair & April Higashi
Join us for our Closing Reception:
Sunday March 22 from 12-5pm
