Chihiro Makio

Easthampton, MA

ARTIST'S STATMENT

Silver has been my material of choice for over 10 years now.

I have tried out other metals, but keep coming back to it. When working with silver, I am allowed to create on a larger scale without worrying about the material expenses of gold or platinum. Silver is a fine metal but can still be worn “casually” without being too precious. I like to create jewelry that is not valued simply for its material worth, but for its design and functionality.

When I am creating one of a kind jewelry or objects I feel like the luckiest person on earth for having this as my passion in my life and the way I make my living. The project doesn’t  always go smoothly, but I know that I will figure out a solution eventually and I enjoy the challenge each project brings my way.

Every year I try to create something totally new to add to my repertoire, based off something inspiring at that moment. Sometimes it’s nature, or art, or fictional stories, or images right out of my memory. These inspirations and one of a kind projects feed my every day processes of being an artist.

The secondary medium that I have been struggling with is hand blown glass. I had majored in it in college, and as much as I loved the material I could not figure out how for it to voice my creativity. I have not given up though, and have been working on developing my glassblowing technique for the last 5 years. My eventual goal is to combine the two materials together in the way that will create a great harmony in design. Clean lines of silver and the fluidity of glass – that is where I see my work in the near future.