IIana Krepchin
Ilana Krepchin received her Bachelor of Arts from Hampshire College in Photography and Anthropology, and completed extensive training in jewelry making from a number of venues including the deCordova Museum. Post-college Krepchin worked as the Associate Director of a small non-profit arts collaborative, running teen photography programs. During that period, she also took jewelry making classes at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education and Metalwerx which spurred her decision to then immerse herself in the world of jewelry production and craft shows. She worked for many years as a studio manager and production assistant for an established jeweler before striking out on her own. Krepchin lives and works in Somerville, Massachusetts.
I’ve always been drawn to geometric shapes and fractals - like the Golden Ratio and The Fibonacci sequence. They are pleasing to the eye but also make the viewer consider how the universe works; why are these structures found all over the natural world? The use of motion allows an audience to interact with some of the sculptures, making the viewer not only a participant, but also reflecting the inter-connectivity of art and light, materials and maker, and the nature of the fractals themselves. When the pandemic hit, I didn’t have the usual hustle of craft fair after craft fair forcing me to think of which pieces were likely to sell. All of a sudden, I had the freedom to just make whatever I wanted…so I started to get bigger and bigger. My biggest piece so far is about 5' tall, but I strive towards bigger and more expansive pieces to more deeply engage viewers, by catching people’s attention from far away, and bringing them into the depths of the geometry as they get closer.
Sterling silver mobius strip necklace with jade bead, 1 1/4” x 1/2” pendant, 18” sterling silver chain
Ilana Krepchin received her BA from Hampshire College in photography and anthropology. She currently lives in Somerville, Massachusetts.
My creations combine a sense of fun and purpose with essential interests from my past. As a kid, I wanted to be an architect when I grew up - now I make miniature buildings. I've always been drawn to mathematical concepts - now they inform my art, as in the miniature Mobius strips I make. I have been a photographer for many years, accumulating piles of photographs that I could never throw away - now I chop them up and set them or transfer them to silver and etch their likenesses. I always thought that something could be done to recycle used technology - now I take the chips and capacitors from discarded computers, and combine them with sterling silver in traditional jewelry formats. It satisfies my disparate interests, it's fun and it's ecological.