PARALLEL OPPOSITES - Kelsey Simmen & Olivia Shih
March 19 - April 30
SHIBUMI GALLERY is pleased to present PARALLEL OPPOSITES featuring jewelers Kelsey Simmen and Olivia Shih. Their work and approaches are strikingly similar in many ways, but evolve from opposite contexts and perspectives. Both make work that is exciting and sensual yet aesthetically unique.
Kelsey’s pieces are based on the organic structure of sugar. Her work is an exuberant explosion of angular cube shapes and oblique lines dotted with geometric gemstones. Kelsey’s pieces reflect her naturally extroverted and vivacious personality.
By contrast, Olivia’s work is defined by soft, sculptural shapes that she meticulously carves. One can experience a quiet reverence examining the shapes and forms of her pieces. Olivia is soft-spoken and introverted, a perfect reflection of her artistic aesthetic.
Both artists, previous mentees of April Higashi from the Women’s Jewelry Association Jewelry Loupe Project, are ready to shine on their own as they now move to fine jewelry. Each artist also still offers silver options to extend their price points to a wider audience.
Please join us Saturday, March 19th out front of the gallery to meet both artists, share a glass of wine and view their work.
KELSEY SIMMEN is a jewelry artist who fabricates her work by hand in Northern California. She graduated with her Bachelor’s of Fine Art in San Francisco in 2009. After earning her degree she worked under several notable women in the jewelry field accumulating a diverse toolbox to start her own jewelry studio.
Kelsey’s work features sugar as a main theme. She creates textures in her pieces by growing, manipulating, and building with its crystals, from tiny sanding sugar to large rock candy. She creates beautiful pieces that are distinctive and thoughtful and become part of both your everyday rituals and your unique experiences.
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 of work that comes from her studio is tailor made for soft-spoken people with strong backbones.
