Artist Statement

I start with an idea so always there's a concept that is the starting point. In that sense, I need an ego, but somehow during this transaction, this relationship called work, the material whispers. It begins to hum. Ideally, if I'm careful enough, I can catch that humming and somehow follow its guidance as I deviate from my original idea. If I really listen, then the silver and gold tell a definite story. The material talks, creates a kind of music which I can ride on. Of course, it doesn't always happen because sometimes the metal never responds. It's a mystery to me exactly how all this happens but when the relationship is successful, at the end I can hold something in my hand.

Résumé

Bio

Reiko Ishiyama, a self-taught jeweler, spent the first 40 years of her life in her native Japan. Deeply influenced by a childhood among traditional artisans on the island of Shikoku, Reiko began her adult career as a sculptor working with various metals. Reiko has been a resident of New York City for almost two decades and during her time in America has specialized in silver and gold jewelry.

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