Project Statement

I took this opportunity to combine some false starts with new ideas for this series of work. The work felt like it was coming full circle as I responded to what was happening in the process of making.

Demask Fin #1 started as a silver-plated cuff bracelet. When I annealed and flatten it I realized that this had so many possibilities. It was a giant oval, of which I am totally obsessed with. I decided to add texture to the back by putting it through the rolling mill with coarse grit sandpaper. I used thick paper to buffer the piece and protect the rollers as I rolled it. This resulted in beautifully embossed paper that I used for Demask Fin #2. From the cuff I pierced out as many ovals as possible and scored and bent them into both a large necklace and earrings. 

The main body of Demask Fin #2 was an interesting leftover from years ago. It started as an abstracted fly that I took apart. I was disappointed at the time that I couldn’t figure out a strong design for it but when I saw how Demask Fin #1 turned out I knew what to do. I dyed the embossed paper from the roll mill process and set it under a glass dome on one of the “wings”. 

To create a cohesive series, I used the color teal and modified ovals as much as possible. The teal polychromed necklace components were the perfect color and when I started to dissect them they had a really interesting connection that made them easy to pull apart and reconfigure. They also have a texture that adds to the opulence of the series.

Angela Bubash is a studio jeweler and educator residing in Rice VA. She currently teaches at Longwood University and maintains her own studio practice. Angela attained a BFA from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and a MFA from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She was a resident artist at the Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina and exhibits her work nationally and internationally. 

Angela has received various grants and awards including a North Carolina Regional Artist Project Grant, Women's Jewelry Association scholarship, Ruth Chenven Foundation grant, and a Ludwig Vogelstein Foundation grant. 

Angela has been invited to lecture, teach, and present at many venues worldwide including SOFA Chicago (IL), Penland School of Crafts (NC), Arrowmont (TN), Appalachian State University (NC), Oklahoma State University (OK), East Carolina University (NC), Winthrop University (SC), and University of Georgia Athens Study Abroad Program in Cortona Italy.