Ken Girardini and Julie Girardini

"We are inspired by the duality of metal—how it can be molten and fluid in one state and cool and structured in another."

In this husband and wife partnership, Ken is the welder and Julie the finisher. Together, they create objects for the home that look artful and sculptural even before a bottle of merlot or a daisy is added.

The Girardinis work primarily in cold-rolled steel, but they often add curiosities like glass, brass, copper, paper, and wood. To begin each piece, Ken and Julie gather metal bits and pieces from around their studio and try different combinations of scale and size until they find a basic form with aesthetic appeal. Ken draws from his background with NASA to engineer these designs. The pieces are then built from structural or cold-finished steel, welded, polished, and ground until smooth.

For more than 25 years, Ken and Julie have deliberately chosen to make a living with their hands and minds. Both self taught as artists, Ken and Julie pride themselves on creating each and every piece by hand. They have participated in a number of the most prestigious juried art and craft shows in the United States, including the American Craft Council Shows, The Philadelphia Museum Craft Show, and The Washington Craft Show.