Meet the Artists
Join us for a glass of wine!
Saturday, September 7th, 3:30 - 5:30PM
1816 Fourth Street, Berkeley
IMMACULATE PERFECTION
Kate Eickelberg + Olivia Shih
September 7th - 30th, 2024
Photos: Olivia Shih on white background, Kate Eickelberg in environments
SHIBUMI presents IMMACULATE PERFECTION, a show featuring meticulously crafted textures and forms by Bay Area jewelers KATE EICKELBERG and OLIVIA SHIH.
Is anything truly perfect? Perfection is an unattainable ideal, yet both these artists strive for perfection and come as close as might be possible. Kate collects and sorts through sand from all over Northern California to achieve her unique texture. Her pieces are engineered and exacting in their detail and execution. Olivia carves her sleek shapes to perfection while leaving a soft-handed finish. The result is elegant pieces that are precious yet well-balanced without feeling machined.
With IMMACULATE PERFECTION both artists explore new combinations using colored stones. While many of their older pieces focused purely on form and texture, their new collections combine their love for structure with the vibrancy of stones. Both artists continue to work with the beauty of brushed and burnished gold and silver.
KATE EICKELBERG earned a BFA in sculpture from Pratt Institute in 2007 and worked as a production assistant for a variety of accomplished jewelers afterwards. The years as a modern apprentice were an incomparable learning experience that have inspired her own creative endeavors. Kate is particularly interested in exploring the idea of preciousness; the things we've collectively agreed have value and those that are special to only to a few of us. She pairs traditional goldsmithing with found or given objects that aren’t usually noticed for their beauty, designing thoughtful pieces from a different perspective. Kate's work is made by hand in her Berkeley, California studio.
OLIVIA SHIH is a contemporary jeweler and writer based in Oakland, California. She was born in the US and raised in Taiwan, an island country known for its bubble milk tea, vibrant culture, and young democracy. Trained as a writer and an artist, Olivia translates emotion into jewelry. She begins her design process by crafting a singular emotion into a narrative of precious metals and gemstones, vulnerability and strength. As an introvert, Olivia brings a quiet and nuanced approach to jewelry. Each piece that comes from her studio is tailor made for soft-spoken people with strong backbones.