Bonnie Bishoff and J.M. Syron

"We create small, wearable sculptures for all those who take pleasure in individual expression and love color and design. "

Bonnie Bishoff and her artistic partner and husband, J.M. Syron, have been collaborative artists since 1987. Through their collaboration, they have come to realize that it is at the meeting point of any two things that we learn the most about the essence of each. They experiment with the meeting of colors, materials, and patterns, composing curious forms and rich surfaces that project an expansive notion of art and creativity for the wearer to share with the world. The artists create jewelry pieces that are objects of joy and intrigue: small, personal sculptures that enliven the wearer and communicate in intimate detail.

Their artwork features decorative veneers of polymer clay pieced together using a marquetry-like technique, creating crisp designs and bold contrasts. Originally developing this veneer technique for decorative surfaces in their studio furniture, they have since transferred these techniques to their jewelry. The soldered and formed metal armatures and decorative elements are covered with or connected to thin layers of polymer.

Bishoff and Syron previously worked as furniture makers and explored the use of polymer as a decorative surface, sculptural element, and illuminated vessel. Today, their work focuses on sculptural objects and art jewelry. Their work has been shown at national and international galleries, fine craft shows with the Smithsonian and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and museum exhibitions at the Peabody Essex Museum, The Museum of Art and Design in New York, and the permanent collection of the Racine Art Museum.