Rebecca Zemans
STATEMENT
In addition to making sculpture, I realized shrinking the scale to jewelry size would allow me to make art that is accessible to everyone.
In addition to making sculpture, I realized shrinking the scale to jewelry size would allow me to make art that is accessible to everyone.
Strong and delicate, ancient and modern, my designs are contemporary with a classic look. Conceptually, they derive from my fascination with biological cells viewed through a microscope and celestial bodies viewed through a telescope. Movement is also a key component as I strive to create comfortable, everyday jewelry that complements and expresses the exceptional qualities of the individual. Each piece of my jewelry tells its own story: every blow of the hammer, every bent curve of metal, every stone collected from far-away lands becomes part of a one-of-a-kind, wearable work of art.
BIOGRAPHY
Rebecca is a mixed media sculpture and jewelry artist whose work can be found in public and private collections around the world. She studied under Sadashi Inuzuka at the University of Michigan, earning dual degrees in Metalsmithing and Cultural Anthropology.
She was a studio artist and faculty member at The Crucible, the renowned arts center in Oakland, California. Her large-scale steel, bronze, and clay sculptures appeared throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, including at the Oakland Museum, Oakland International Airport, and San Francisco’s ArtWorkSF gallery.
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In 2007, Rebecca returned home to Chicago to be resident metal artist at Lillstreet Art Center, where she created a jewelry collection inspired by her continuing sculpture practice. She now participates in the top crafts shows throughout the country. Rebecca has taught at the Chicago Children’s Museum and River East Art Center and currently is on faculty at Lillstreet Art Center and the Hyde Park Art Center.
