About Sarah Tector & Jenny Southern

Through random happenstance (and a few dozen mozzarella stix) a beautiful friendship between two metalsmiths was formed in Raleigh, NC, in 2010. Treating it as small-scale sculpture, Sarah creates jewelry that is clean and geometric with architectural influences. Jenny, though, focuses her energy on textile inspired pieces utilizing bead weaving and crochet, drawing inspiration from the role nature plays in human adornment. Together, Sarah’s linear structures and Jenny’s elegant textures make a harmonious blend of metal and glass.

These experiments started simply with “hey I think I can stitch something into those earrings”. Color and pattern in a two dimensional structure were our beginning design influences. The metal shapes always come first, with the beads as a reaction to the positive and negative spaces.

Then “what if we went bolder” took over. After seeing the possibilities of movement and shape as they were worn, coloring “outside of the lines” felt like the logical next step. Evolving from tight, structured, and flat, to loosely draped and free of a sense of directionality. The asymmetric drape of a web on a crisp pair of circular earrings. Or the flow of beads snaking through a selection of sculptural rings. Instead of being mere frames supporting beadwork, this collection aims to marry the lines between metal and glass.

About Amber Jenson's work:

Amber's work is designed to be an intimate, visual invitation into the often elusive and fantastical sense of belonging that so many of us yearn for. Much like a spider weaves her web — building architecture out of her own body — each of Jenson's drawings or weavings start small and build over time into its own densely-layered language. This unique form of communication reflects meaningful memories and deeply-felt experiences that are both mine and universal. Amber entwines these memories and imaginings, blending them with my active, present surroundings — the magical colors, flora and fauna, friends and family of daily life. As you stand in front of one of her drawings or run your hands over the woven work, you are welcome to connect with your own deep knowledge, your memories of place, of home and of shelter.