Sylvi Harwin

"Anodized aluminum allows me to indulge my passion for color in big, bold sculptural shapes that are virtually weightless. My work has always been playful and whimsical--my inspiration comes from dreams and the world around me. "

Sylvi Harwin's whimsical, colorful jewelry is like a personal party for the wearer--so humorous and playful, yet at the same time sophisticated. She creates art with a celebration of life and all its joys; her art is full of energy. She loves the medium of anodized aluminum because it enables her to play with unusual color combinations and to experiment with big, sculptural shapes that are easily worn.

Harwin is one of very few artists who anodize their own aluminum. She gains complete artistic control of her medium, enabling her to create fade-dyed pieces and particularly unusual colors not available commercially. The finished piece is connected to the anode in a chemical bath and subjected to electric voltage, which creates microscopic pores in the metal, allowing it to absorb special dyes. After dying the piece, the artist seals it by adjusting the Ph, thus rendering the color and finish permanent and the metal hard and non-corrosive.

She studied art and various techniques in Mexico City at La Escuela de Artes y Artes Plasticas; in Paris, France, at l'Institut de la Dinanderie; at the Cleveland Institute of Art; and finally, with Arlene Fisch at San Diego State University. She is self taught to a great extent in anodizing aluminum, having developed her own techniques. Harwin has been featured in David LaPlantz's book Artists Anodizing Aluminum.