Studio visit: Mari Ishikawa

Mari to me is a special jeweller whose interest expands into the art of photography by making the unseen seen. In her book Parallel Worlds we can see the correlation between the images of nature and her one of a kind jewellery pieces. (I bought her book! And she signed it!)

Mari signing my (her) book

Mari!

Mari!

Mari expounded how people often don’t give a chance for a little detour; to look for something hidden that might be sitting right in front of you. People would be like, “Mari, I’ve never seen this before! Where is it?”

Here inside Mari’s book we can find her question and thoughts:



“Where does a parallel world exist?

In a different universe?
Can one discover such a world through time travel?
Is it perhaps possible to see such a world in a dream?
Or does it only exist in one’s heart?

The world we see is only a part of the entire reality
which is composed of many worlds existing
simultaneously, side by side.

We can find a parallel world
whenever we open our eyes and hearts.

It is always with us.”

Her love of nature draws her to explore the unseen world that eludes the naked eye. Long exposure and black and white photos take us to another world we have not known before. “Moonlight shadow” and many other works bring to our eyes the colour of the night. Blue, purple and white captured under the low moonlight stir my soul. You wanna ask hey where is found another worldly scene? I don't know what to say!

In her studio Mari showcased her valuable jewellery pieces that left me standing in awe! Like Mari! Your work is so amazing I fell in love with all of them! She lined them chronologically from the earliest to the most recent creations. Brooches, rings, necklaces. You name them, it’s all there! More than half of all her work embodies the colour red as red in Japan is symbolic of the rising sun which vivifies the landscape that’s soft and quiet. Those were the moments of elevation for me, to stand in Mari’s studio.

This memory stays with me like a wave in the ocean. No beginning, no end.

Mari
Ishikawa!

P.s.
Mari told us and it was funny how originally the galleries didn’t like how her piece weren’t gold, so they asked her to create something gold. Mari wasn’t drawn to traditional goldsmithing objects, but she complied anyhow. Later the gallery people came back and wanted her to go back to her unique nature-inspired objects because those were cooler. So Mari now has two branches in her oeuvre. Hahaha

Mari's