So Fresh + So Clean 2024
Our annual online international student exhibition
All applicants are Student Level Members
FRESH
Work that is happening now, challenging how we define the field of Jewelry and Metalsmithing.
CLEAN
Objectively looking at how our practices intersect with environmental concerns and human health.
A Message from the Student Committee
Congratulations to the So Fresh + So Clean 2024 participating artists!
Before we present this year’s annual juried exhibition, please join us in celebrating 10 years of So Fresh + So Clean! This international showcase and competition connects student makers to the larger organization, Ethical Metalsmiths. Each year, EM Students builds into and educates passionate student artists about creating a more responsible jewelry and metalsmithing field. We are proud to see past participants critically involved in the contemporary field.
In the SF+SC 2024 prompt, artists were charged to consider the impact and backstory of their materials. Each material decision matters, and is closely related to our planet’s future well-being. Artists submitted innovative work and fresh ideas. The prompt was decidedly open-ended, encouraging students to explore. Some artists sourced materials from their local waste streams or gardens, creating renewed contexts for these media. Other artists were conceptually motivated, using organic materials in new ways. This exhibition cross-pollinates the work that students are doing globally. Each approach to this year’s challenge explores the innovative pathways toward a cleaner global jewelry and metalsmithing field for future generations.
We share our tremendous gratitude to SF+SC 2024 Guest Jurors, Keith Lewis and Charon Kransen. With their trained eyes and hard work, we curated a challenging and inspiring exhibition. It was an honor to have you join our team!
To this year’s artists -
You submitted thoughtful, innovative work to SF+SC 2024. As you grow increasingly aware of your studio’s impact, we challenge you to continue investigating your processes, methods, and personal goals. Remember that a completely sustainable practice is an ever-evolving goal. We are glad you are now a part of the international EM Student community!
And with that, we look forward to another 10 years of this project. Be inspired as you experience the 10th Annual So Fresh + So Clean 2024 Exhibition!
Warm wishes,
Debra Dowden-Crockett, Yifei Kong,
Shannon Kurzyniec & Chelsea Nanfelt Rowe
Student Committee
AWARD WINNERS
The exhibition is managed by the SF+SC Student Committee, a collection of graduate students at Virginia Commonwealth University. Each year an esteemed guest(s) is invited by the committee to join the jury process.
Three award winners were chosen from the collection of applicants.
Prize $ 1000 + $ 150 gift certificate to Charon Kransen Arts
Award chosen by All Jurors
2024 Emerging Artist
Ahlam Qaissi
Artist Statement:
A Stone As Life... Oh stone, harboring secrets, hidden worlds, Arousing desires to grasp and explore your curves.....
Tough yet tender, resilient and fragile, Both free and bound, contradictory in nature You've witnessed past and future, a timeless grace, A vessel of memory, my muse in this place.....
Oh stone, my canvas, my guiding star, Through you, I inscribe my tales, creating from afar.....
Let me narrate, within your grasp, a home's tale amid chaos' swirl, Grant me refuge in your tranquil domain unfurl... Reveal your sacred essence, Eternal, while I, mere mortal, in your presence...
Responsibility Statement:
Even within my own home, I constantly long for the place where I grew up; the profound changes occurring there cause me deep sorrow. The limestone, the fundamental building block , served as the cornerstone for my project. It is strong, and primitive, embodying both home and land. Likewise, I represent the land and the home.
The jewelry features stones and nails, with nails anchoring stones and creating unique folds in the fabric. By carving the stone, an extension and intimately personal space inspired by human anatomy are forged. Within this space, the values of preservation, memory, and the quest for healing from the potential anguish of separation from my cherished land, exacerbated by political and environmental degradation, are profoundly represented.
Committed to sustainability, I repurposed leftover stones and nails from my garden. Both remain separated, adhering to key recycling principles, allowing them to be returned without significant damage to their original location. While engaging with the stone, I preserved its natural facets, meticulously sculpting others to align with its formal and structural attributes, always adhering to organic architecture principles. The jewelry features stones and nails, with nails anchoring stones and creating unique folds in the fabric. By carving the stone, an extension and intimately personal space inspired by human anatomy are forged. Within this space, the values of preservation, memory, and the quest for healing from the potential anguish of separation from my cherished land, exacerbated by political and environmental degradation, are profoundly represented.
Committed to sustainability, I repurposed leftover stones and nails from my garden. Both remain separated, adhering to key recycling principles, allowing them to be returned without significant damage to their original location. While engaging with the stone, I preserved its natural facets, meticulously sculpting others to align with its formal and structural attributes, always adhering to organic architecture principles.
Bachelor of Jewelry Design 2023
Palestinian, Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design
2024 Juror’s Choice
Prize $ 500 + $ 150 gift certificate to Charon Kransen Arts
Award chosen by Guest Jurors
Mengtong Yu
Master of Fine Art 2025 (expected)
Savannah College of Art and Design, USA
Artist Statement:
Mengtong Yu's concept addresses gender and craft, focusing on the underrepresentation of women in metalsmithing. Societal roles like caregiving and homemaking hinder women from thriving in these fields, making the jewelry industry predominantly male-dominated. Traditional jewelry masterpieces feature large gemstones cut by male masters. The artist challenges this norm by using welding, anodizing, and forging, primarily with titanium. Typically, colorful gemstones adorn the female body in large, satirical shapes. Unlike transparent gemstones, metal's reflective properties simulate gemstone refraction. This technique highlights metalsmithing craftsmanship and emphasizes women's potential to excel and transform these traditionally male-dominated fields..
Responsibility Statement:
My materials come from second-hand metals sourced from graduates and scrap boxes. Many graduates no longer need these metals after finishing their studies, so I purchase them at below-market prices. I then melt these metals into ingots for future use. From an environmental impact perspective, my design choices are guided by sustainability and minimalism. By using techniques such as welding, anodizing, and forging, I minimize waste and energy consumption. I avoid harmful chemicals in my processes and opt for eco-friendly alternatives whenever possible. Additionally, I design pieces that are timeless and durable, promoting slow fashion and reducing the demand for fast, disposable jewelry. Although I use the school's studio and don't control its policies, I adopt environmentally conscious habits. I recycle all waste materials and strive to use equipment efficiently to minimize energy consumption. I also support the local community by promoting sustainability and ethical practices in my work.
2024 Student’s Choice
Prize: $250
Award chosen by the SF+SC Student Committee
Cynthia Fraschetti
Bachelor of Fine Arts, 2023
NSCAD University, Canada
Artist Statement:
I have always been inspired by the beauty of found objects, the uniqueness of their surfaces, and intrigued by their ambiguous origins. By honouring the integrity of these materials, emphasizing their aesthetics, and using unrelated objects that share visual commonalities, I hope to reflect the interdependence that allows our universe to exist. Similar to the interconnectivity that lies within small moments that often go unnoticed, I use materials that may otherwise be overlooked to cultivate a sense of value and appreciation through body adornment.
Responsibility Statement:
The materials I use within my practice consist of the collected objects I find when I am on my outdoor walks, and recycled metals/supplies I save throughout my jewellery-making processes. The work I create aims to honour the raw beauty of the materials I use, as well as transform objects that would otherwise be discarded. I bring nature to the wearer in hopes of cultivating appreciation for the small parts that make up our environments, and to remind us of our coexistence with the natural world. By using materials that may not be traditionally deemed as precious, as well as recycling materials saved from my studio practice, I am able to limit my material consumption while being mindful, resourceful, and thankful for what I have, as it allows me to create unorthodox jewellery that can be shared with and appreciated by others.
We celebrate the significant impact students have, amplifying their voices in an effort to shift the contemporary conversation.
We challenge you to investigate your studio, processes, methods, and personal goals. Tell us about it, ask questions, and then show us the work you are making!
Introducing the
So Fresh + So Clean 2024 Student Exhibition!
VIEWING TIPS
The best viewing experience will be on a computer. To enlarge, click on a thumbnail image, and hover over the image to view additional text.
Thank you to our So Fresh + So Clean Sponsors!
So Fresh + So Clean 2024 JURORS
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"Keith Lewis received his BS in Chemistry from Dickinson College (Carlisle, PA) in 1981 and his MFA in Jewelry & Metalsmithing from Kent State University (Kent, OH) in 1993. He has been teaching at Central Washington University since 1994, where he is currently CWU Distinguished Professor.
His jewelry deals with issues of sexual identity, memory, loss, and the notion of jewelry as a transportable polemic. It has been widely published and shown both nationally and internationally and is represented in a number of significant public and private collections, including the Tacoma Art Museum, The Houston Museum of Fine Arts, The Rotasa Foundation (CA), The Boardman Family Collection (CA), The Porter/Price Collection (NC), the Susan Beech Collection (CA), The Museum of Arts and Design, The Smithsonian Institution, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
In addition to his work as an artist and teacher, he has also written for a number of publications including Metalsmith, New Art Examiner and Artweek and has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG) and of the Metalsmith magazine Editorial Advisory Board.
He desperately wants to meet a wombat”
photographer as Jovelle Tamayo
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Charon Kransen ( born in Holland ), ( resides in New York City since 1988 ) has worked in the field of contemporary jewelry since 1969. He received his training at the Bezalel Academy of Fine Arts Jerusalem Israel, Hochschule fuer Gestaltung Pforzheim Germany and at Juhls Kautokeino Norway.
Professor of Jewelry (and Enamel) Design at the University of Utrecht Holland; Head of Jewelry and Enamel department at the Arts College Amersfoort Holland; President of the VES ( Dutch Jewelry Designers Organization) and lecturer at universities, colleges and art organizations internationally.
Curator, art-dealer and agent for over 150 international contemporary jewelers (mostly non-Americans) in North-America at various galleries and art fairs such as the SOFA Chicago , SOFA NY, International Art + Design Fair in New York, Art Palm Beach Palm Beach, Miami International Art Fair Miami, SOFA West Santa Fe and Art Basel Miami
( Red Dot Fair ) Art Aspen, Art & Jewelry & Antique Fair Palm Beach, LA Art Show etc.
He also distributes books and catalogs in the field of jewelry/metal/design and his array of international titles are considered the most comprehensive in contemporary jewelry.
He has been the official bookseller of the SNAG ( Society of North American Goldsmiths ) for the past 30 years, besides being a juror for many international cont. jewelry competitions
For the past 20 years he has lectured on contemporary jewelry and gives master-classes to students and professionals in the North-America, Europe, Australia and South America and Asia.,
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Chelsea Rowe (she/her) is an artist and jeweler originally from the Midwest. Currently based in Richmond, Virginia, she is a first year Craft/Material Studies Graduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University. Rowe completed her BFA in 2018 at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. She is a member of Ethical Metalsmiths. Participation includes Radical Jewelry Makeover: Artist Project and EM Student VCU Chapter Co-Chair.
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Yifei Kong is originally from Beijing, China. She is a metalsmith and enamelist. She received her BFA in Metal from SUNY New Paltz, NY. Currently a first year in the Craft/Material Studies MFA program in Virginia Commonwealth University.
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Shannon Kurzyniec (b.1984) is a candidate in the MFA program in the Department of Craft/Material Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond,VA. She received her BFA from Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, concentrating in Metalsmithing. Utilizing body adornment, installation, and video, Kurzyniec explores new ways in which to express her opinions about the personal and social impacts of prescription medication on the human condition.
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Debra Dowden-Crockett (she/her) is a metal and glass artist whose practice explores topics of vanitas, impermanence, alchemy, and femininity. She is a first-year Craft/Material Studies Graduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Philosophy at Baylor University in Texas. She is a member of Ethical Metalsmiths, Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG), and the Virginia Glass Guild, where she has served as President.
So Fresh + So Clean is powered by our Student Committee
The Student Committee mission is to examine what it means to be an artist in the 21st century by curating the most innovative jewelry and metalsmithing that challenges the political and environmental implications of our field.
We understand a 100% sustainable practice is an unachievable goal.
But, how close can we get? The first step is becoming aware of the ways your work impacts environmental and human health, hopefully affecting the creative decision making of artists. Becoming a member of the Community for Ethical Jewelry is one small step that places you within this essential dialogue, and your membership fee helps our non-profit organization to continue to make a difference!
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