Alison Antelman

Alison B. Antelman

"I’m dedicated to my own aesthetic, I explore new horizons within the context of my own voice. You’ve got to love what you’re creating!"

Ideas flourish in Alison's mind, like opportunities of adventure on the open road. It is impossible to discover all roads at once, so she take notes and draws maps for future exploration. She is always jotting down line drawings on hot pink Post-it notes, and the surge of new ideas germinates in her mind. Exploration and puzzle solving are part of her process as she reaches her design goals. The open road leads everywhere…

Alison's work is inspired by cityscapes, rock formations, observations of both human-made and natural structures. Her jewelry is hand fabricated and forged, like the structures that are its inspiration. The pieces consist of fold-formed hollow pods that are hinged, soldered and joined in varied configurations. Utilizing hammers, She sinks and forms the metal, creating arrangements that are light and comfortable to wear. She uses 18k and 22k gold, oxidized sterling silver, stainless steel wire and unusual stones in raw, faceted and smooth surfaces. Hinges, settings and clasps are handmade. Throughout the many phases of the construction there is a lot of sawing, sanding, filing, and soldering. She tends to work in stages in order to implement her vision using her own blueprints to guide the way.

Studio jeweler Alison Antelman took her first metals class at City College in San Francisco in 1991. She studied with highly accomplished jewelers and metalsmiths in the San Francisco Bay area and started her business in 1995. She’s participated in gallery exhibitions, won awards, writes articles and has her work shown in many publications. After 25 years of creating jewelry in her well-lit studio in Berkeley, California she has transitioned to her new spacious studio in the Land of Enchantment—Santa Fe, New Mexico.

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Selected Exhibitions & Awards
Charles Lewton-Brain Fold Forming Competition, Center for Metal Arts, Florida, N.Y. U.S., 2014
2015 Niche Awards, Rosen Group/American Made show, Washington, D.C. , 2015
American Craft Council Show, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, CA, 2019, 2020
Craftboston Holiday , Boston, MA, 2019
The Nature of Jewelry: Botanical Design and Symbols , Peninsula School of Art, Guenzel Gallery, Fish Creek, WI. U.S., 2013
Ornamental Connections, Contemporary Interpretations: Art for the Ear, The Art of the Ring , Mobilia Gallery, Cambridge, MA. U.S. , 2012/2013
The Art of Metalsmithing Exposed , Artlink Gallery, Fort Wayne, Indiana, 2019
Wearable Expressions, Palos Verdes Art Center, Ranchos Palos Verdes, CA , 2017
Clasps: Functional Adornment, Macchiarini Creative Design, San Francisco, CA, 2018
Lakefront Festival of Art , Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI, 2019