Kathy King

Kathy King Jewelry

"I really enjoy that fact that I can combine my love of math, building things, and miniature objects into one activity. Beads give me the flexibility to build whatever I have in my head; it just takes some experimentation to figure out how to do it."

Kathy King is an award-winning jewelry artist, instructor, and author of the book Bead Quilled Jewelry: New Beadwork Designs with Square Stitch. King enjoys trying new things in her work and expanding ideas of what can be done with beads. She loves playing with the clean lines of beaded geometric shapes and the rich textures that tiny beads make possible.

The main technique Kathy King uses in her designs is the bead quilling technique, which she developed in 2008. In this technique, the holes of the glass beads and thread are exposed, allowing the thread color to become an integral part of the design. Another signature component of her jewelry is the beaded bead, a large, intricate bead created by weaving hundreds of smaller glass beads together.

Kathy King is a self-taught bead weaver whose work is strongly influenced by her engineering background. Her bead quilling technique allows her to weave sturdy structures that can be further embellished and built upon. For shape and color inspiration, King looks to historical architecture and cultural patterns from around the world.

READ MORE
Selected Exhibitions & Awards
Artsplosure (annual juried show) 1st Place, Raleigh, NC, 2012
Virgina Beach Boardwalk Art Show - 2nd Place, Virginia Beach, Virginia, 2012
Tiny Treasures Exhibition - 3rd Place, Cary Gallery of Artists, Cary, NC, 2020
Smithsonian Craft Show, Smithsonian Museum, Washington, DC, 2020, 2021
Resolutions - 2nd Place, Hillsborough Gallery of Arts, HIllsborough, NC, 2020
Bead Dreams Beading Competition, Milwuakee, Wisconsin, 2007-2012
Convergence II , International Society of Glass Bead Makers, traveling exhibition, 2010
Collections
Corning Museum of Glass, store, Corning, NY, 2013 to present