Shaping Jewelry As Art, an interview-driven video exhibition curated by Anna Iwasaki, features new work from jewelry artist Sana Nisar. This exhibition features multiple works from “The Atlantis Collection”, which are inspired by marine life. Artworks reflect the geographical beauty of water, mountains, and wilderness. Shaping Jewelry As Art aims to share complexities of culture in Pakistan and, at the same time, explore the significance of jewelry in a digital art space.
Artist Bio:Sana Nisar is a social entrepreneur and jewelry designer. Based in Lahore, Pakistan, she runs her own jewelry brand by the name of Tsafira and also runs her own social sector development organization by the name of Naqaash Foundation that is focused on engaging women in stone cutting, polishing, and handicraft making.
Qualified and trained at Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design, Nisar has been running Tsafira for the past 3 years. Her jewelry creations have a deep inspiration from the Gandhara Art of Taxila and other organic forms and highlight pristine craftsmanship to produce limited collection jewelry pieces. Each of her creations is unique in its own way. She lovingly makes her designs using top quality semi-precious stones, pearls, mixed metals, and crystals with natural geodes. She believes that creating jewelry provides a means to show her creativity and aesthetics. Color, light, energy, and subtle grace mark the quality of her creations. She believes that through art one can express their emotions and feelings in a better way. Her work is a representation of her expressions through networking and merging organic and modern elements.
Curator Bio:Anna Iwasaki received a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and a Bachelor of Music in Strings Performance (Violin) from Seattle University. Her past experiences in the art community include working at the Hedreen Gallery at Seattle University as a front desk assistant, interning at the Frye Art Museum as a gallery guide, and was part of the core members of the team, “Future Ancient” which programmed events sponsored by the Seattle Asian Art Museum.
As a freelance curator, Iwasaki believes that there is value in the space that the artists and musicians present their work. Once the artists complete their work, the curator’s responsibility is to facilitate communication between the artists and viewers by creating a space that accurately conveys the artist’s story. During the four years Iwasaki spent at Seattle University, she explored and experienced the impact of space by performing the violin and by being involved in the different art spaces. Prior to the pandemic, her focus on space was solely on a physical platform. However, she is now facing the challenge of incorporating the virtual platform. To further explore the strategic approach of using a fixed virtual space while still encouraging an open space for communication amongst the artists and the viewers, she will pursue a Masters in Communication at Johns Hopkins starting in Spring 2021.