Ayesha Mayadas

"I work gold like clay—pushing, pulling, and sculpting, not with fingers, but with hammers and stakes. The result is metal transformed into the soft contours of the natural world: the ripple of water, the fullness of a raindrop, the ragged edge of a dried leaf. "

After thirteen years as a textile engineer, jewelry artist Ayesha Mayadas gave in to her passion for metals and dedicated herself to it full time. Initially, her interest lay in silversmithing, but she soon turned the techniques of hammering and forming toward sculptural and abstract vessels of copper and silver. Much of her inspiration comes from nature, with water as a focus.

As a jewelry designer, Mayadas strives to realize her aesthetic in precious metals such as gold. The techniques of chasing and hammering that she uses in her jewelry are just miniature versions of those that shape her sculpture.

Of all the tools in her studio, Mayadas uses her hammer the most. A range of hammers and steel stakes enables her to create fluid forms through techniques such as raising, sinking, forging, and sculpting. The marks left by these tools often become an integral part of her finished pieces.