Lauren Blais

"I take unique, textured materials such as leather and fur and combine them with common shapes found in antique wallpapers to create modern jewelry that echoes the Victorian Era. "

Jewelry as wearable art has always been important to Lauren Blais because it plays with the personal relationship to the body and it has created a nostalgic connection between people throughout history. Blais creates handcrafted jewelry inspired by the Victorian Era with a modern and edgy twist. Her pieces are dark, deft, and delicate constructions.

Blais's jewelry is predominately created using traditional metalsmithing techniques such as lost wax casting, piercing, forming, fabricating, and enameling. The materials she uses bridge the gap between old and new. Her pieces are primarily constructed from silver etched with antique wallpaper patterns and accented with gemstones, raw minerals, fur, exotic leathers, and gold.

Lauren Blais earned her B.F.A. with distinction from Massachusetts College of Art and Design with a concentration in small metals. She has had the opportunity to work under prestigious metalsmiths including Boris Bally, Dan Jocz, Heather White, Deb Todd-Wheeler, and Barbara Seidenath.