Yoko Izawa Artist's Statement

When immersed in creative activities I feel that the sense of beauty and value within my culture surfaces and moulds my work. For my means of expression, I feel more comfortable when the work has a quality of ambiguity or transience. My interest has been for sometime in containing, covering, or wrapping things. The search has been for something elusive. The function and material nature of jewellery does not concern me as much as the presence and feeling of an object. Veiled jewellery reflects my assumption that although certainty is often required in modern society, ambiguous expression has been the most distinctive characteristic found in Japanese values and religious beliefs.

Images of work

Necklace Clear Spheres, 2003 Neckpiece, 2003 Neckpiece, 2006 'wrapped', 2006

Brief CV

Yoko Izawa MA (RCA) 2004 Artist in residence - School of Jewellery, Birmingham Institute of Art and Design EDUCATION 2001-2003 Royal College of Art, London, MA Goldsmithing, Silversmithing, Metalwork & Jewellery 1998-2001 Kent Institute of Art & Design, BA(hons) Silversmithing, Goldsmithing & Jewellery Design, Rochester EMPLOYMENT HISTORY 2002 summer worked for Mappin & Webb (to create the prize winning design) 1991-1998 worked as a full time packaging designer at Alfa Box (a packaging design office, Osaka, Japan) EXHIBITIONS 2006 ñSOFAî, represented by The David Collection, New York "All that glitters is not gold" Galerie Sofie Lachaert, Belgium "Collect Collections", Lesley Craze Gallery, London ñTransparentî, RBSA Gallery, Birmingham ñRed Hotî, The Roger Billcliffe Gallery,, Glasgow ñCollect", represented by Lesley Craze Gallery, V&A museum, London ñGroup Exhibitionî, Gallery The Yard, Nijmegen, Holland 2005 "Dazzle", Royal National Theatre, London "Shock of the New", Bluecoat Display Centre, Liverpool "Chelsea Crafts Fair", Chelsea Old Town Hall, London "Contemporary British Jewellery", Galeria Bielak, Krakow, Poland "Follow Me", Kath Libbert Jewellery, Saltaire "Celebrating 30 Years", Crafts Council Shop at the V&A "SOFA", represented by The David Collection, New York "Dazzle, Merchant Square, Glasgow "Rarefind Summer", New Ashgate Gallery, Farnham "Celluloid", Royal Birmingham Society of Artists Gallery, Birmingham "Showcase", City Art Gallery & Talbot Rice Gallery, Edinburgh 2004 "SOFA", represented by The David Collection, Chicago "Dazzle", National Theatre, London "Chelsea Crafts Fair" Chelsea Old Town Hall, London "One year On" Business Design Center, London "Legnica Jubilee Exhibition" The Legnica Gallery, Legnica, Poland "Jewellery Unlimited" The Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery, Bristol "New Faces 2004" Crafts Council shop at the V&A, London 2003 "All That Glisters Is Not Gold" Sixchapelrow Contemporary Art, Bath "Itami International Craft Competition ¿ Jewellery" The Museum of Arts Crafts Itami, Japan "Recent Graduates" Gelerie Marzee, Nijmegen, Holland "Show 2003" Royal College of Art, London AWARDS 2004 Chelsea crafts Fair "First Time Exhibitors Award" 2003 Itami International Craft Competition  Jewellery "Good Material Award" Nicole Stùber Memorial Award Goldsmiths' Craft & Design Council Craftmanship and Design Award. Fashion Jewellers Finished Pieces: "Commended" 2002 Mappin & Webb Jewellery Design Project "First Prize" Goldsmiths' Craft & Design Council Craftmanship and Design Award. Fashion Jewellers Finished Pieces: "Commended". Fashion Jewellers Mounted Designs "Commended" 2001 Goldsmiths' Craft & Design Council Craftmanship and Design Award. Fashion Jewellery Finished Pieces: "Commended" Itami International Craft Competition Jewellery "Commended" 2000 Goldsmiths' Craft & Design Council Craftmanship and Design Award. Fashion Jewellery Finished Pieces: "First Prize". Silversmiths(senior) "Second Prize". Fashion Jewellery Finished Pieces "Commended" 1999 Itami International Craft Competition. Jewellery "Commended" COMMISSIONS For Janice Blackburn, curator PUBLIC COLLECTIONS 2006 Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums 2003 Royal College of Art, The Alice and Louis Koch Collection PUBLICATIONS/ARTICLES/PRESS You, edited by Sue Peart, 20 Oct 2002, p31-32, ïA pearl in a golden cageÍ written by Sue Carpenter Crafts, edited by Geraldine Rudge, No.193 March/April 2005, ïp50-53, Veiled BeautyÍ, written by Cynthia Rose Finding, The Association for Contemporary JewelleryÍs Quarterly newsletter, edited by Muriel Wilson, issue 31, p3, ïVeiled JewelleryÍ written by Shelby Fitzpatrick Elle Decoration, Nov 2004, p26 Selvedge, edited by Polly Leonard, Nov/Dec 05 issue 08, p76 The Financial Times, 'How to spend it' magazine, Febryary 2005, edited by Gillian de Bono, p31

Contact

Email: y_izawa@yahoo.co.uk Website: www.yokoizawa.com

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