HINGE DESIGNS
Marge Hinge
[2011, Jewelry + Metalsmithing]
Based in Providence, RI
Marge Hinge’s RISD Craft Gallery
Drawn to the natural world, she strives to make work that responds to the materials in front of her. From rocks to feathers to metal, she studies materiality and works with color and form to create her evocative jewels. She has been collecting and making for as long as she can remember. As a child she was mesmerized by beads, cords and any other material she could get her hands on. Jewelry was the best outlet for this fascination, being able to take something handmade and carry it with you.
Tell us about some of your main sources of inspiration.
Weather it was growing up in the woods of Upstate New York, I spent my days outside exploring creeks, finding wild orchids, and catching crayfish. Or our yearly pilgrimage to the Cape, where I would cart home every beach stone and shell I could find. I have always felt the most myself surrounded by the natural world. Today I am still constantly in awe of the incredible treasures that our mother earth creates and that I get to work with such incredible materials. There is also a giant orchid cactus that lives in my studio, its not mine, but my studio mates and I all come together when it blooms once a year. I love the anticipation of watching its bright red flowers come out as a sign of spring.
How does your current creative practice tie into your time spent at RISD?
I would have never thought a glass cold working class (which I took because I couldn’t get into the hot shop) I took my sophomore year would have translated into the work I do now. Going from glass to stone has transformed how I look at and work with materials today. I also really appreciate the critical thinking that I learned and use in my business and creative work daily.
Is there a work/body of work that you are particularly excited about sharing with us at RISD Craft this year?
I work more in collections of materials rather than seasons, I have some incredible patterned and colorful stones that I am working with right now and I am excited to debut at RISD Craft. I also have been working with a whole stone and slicing it into slivers to create necklaces. It starts to tell a story with the colors and shapes that transform throughout the stone. I love finding new colors and lines that you can’t see from the outside.
To see more of Marge’s work, visit hingedesigns.co
KARENNA MARAJ JEWELRY
Karenna Maraj
[2005, Jewelry & Metalsmithing]
Based in Belmont, MA
Karenna Maraj creates distinctive industrial jewelry from washers and circular shapes. Each piece is hand worked in her studio in Belmont, MA. The jewelry ranges from light and delicate to deliberate and bold. She is inspired by her passion of everything jewelry and by the exploration of endless possibilities. Her designs showcase the circular elements, and make women feel special, unique and beautiful.
What are some of the most important practices for your creative process?
The most helpful way for me to be creative is to work and make a piece. As I create a particular piece of jewelry, ideas begin to form about a new way to assemble those same parts. I usually like to make sketches as I go if I have many ideas, and if I’m very excited about an idea, I frequently will quickly make a sample and put it for sale in my store. By doing this, I can get feedback and see what people think of the piece. I’ve been established in one location for 8 years, so my customers are very helpful because they have seen my work progress and they give me helpful, thoughtful and honest opinions.
How does your current creative practice tie into your time spent at RISD?
All of my current production work is inspired by my thesis project at RISD. In school I made a series of 7 necklaces with industrial washers and handmade circles. These necklaces were large and heavy- not for everyday wear. I decided upon the most interesting aspects of each of the necklaces and held those sacred, but transformed the necklace into a more practical weight and versatile design. They’ve since evolved into pendants and earrings and bracelets. So now there are styles for everyone.
Is there a work/body of work that you are particularly excited about sharing with us at RISD Craft this year?
I am most excited about my compression collection. This original design style centers around a series of handmade copper circles that have been hammered and sometimes oxidized, then made into a series of necklaces and earrings. This collection has been my most popular, especially if I combine washers with the compression. My favorite pendant also has freshwater pearls with the oxidized copper and comes with an option of two different seed beads.
To see more of Karenna Maraj’s work, visit karennamarajcollection.com