Isamu Noguchi Influence

Within the new Sculptura collection is a pair of new Noguchi Earrings. This design is a nod to the artist who knew no boundaries to his craft, which will forever inspire me to do the same. 

I've known of Isamu Noguchi and his renowned body of work since my days in university. One of my 20th century art classes briefly touched upon Noguchi's Akaricollections – and I remember then digging through his other career highlights, in awe of the innovation he brought to sculpture during his time. He was a rule-breaker within this era, placing his creations into new environments with new context, and amassed an ever-growing group of fans drawn to his vision.

Noguchi was a Japanese-American sculptor that drew influence from both Surrealism and Japanese art. He valued the aspect of accessibility, and incorporated his work into public, common areas – as believed that sculptures should be a seamless part of everyday life – from his mass production of Japanese-inspired furniture, to his reimagined playgrounds & gardens, to the installation-like pieces he placed on dance sets. He called attention to the new & refreshing purpose he brought to sculpture.

During the early development of the Sculptura collection, I knew I wanted to design something that would be an homage to Noguchi, to honour the invaluable influence he's had over my creative journey. During my design process, I looked through my favourite works of his, and wrote down words that instantly came to mind. A few mention-ables were: abstract, organic, geometric, biomorphic, and motion. 'Motion' was a new one that came as a surprise. As I gave the term more thought, I found it to be spot-on with the kind of 'life' and animation that Noguchi breathed into his creations.

With 'motion' solidified in my mind, I then began to sketch various shapes with this same sentiment. After many rough outlines, I eventually landed on the one that clicked. The final silhouette is ultimately abstract, but gestures a form that is in mid-stride. When first carving the design from wax, I also made sure the result would be fleshed out and three-dimensional, to appear as wearable (and miniature) sculpture.

The Noguchi Earrings are diligently handmade by yours truly, using sterling silver and fresh water pearls. I hope you love them as much as I do – the perfect artistic ear statement to the rule-breakers at heart.

Best,

Allison