Hilary Finck

August 24, 2021

Hilary Finck is featured in our 2021 Exhibition 'Sticks and Stones & Broken Bones'

July 31st – October 31st

Our Autumn exhibition celebrates contemporary artists that aren't afraid to push limits by moving away from classic designs and towards recognizable imagery.

Click here to shop the entire exhibition

Q: Where did you study Jewelry/Metalsmithing and when?

A: Colorado State University, late 1990s; apprentice to Peter and Dan Macchiarini, San Francisco, early 2000s

Q: What inspires your work?

A: Color, unique stones, kinetics, the desire to make one-of-a-kind pieces and jewelry that is different from the usual.

Q: Do you have a favorite piece you've made?

A: Captured Rutilated Quartz Orb Necklace

Q: What made you want to start making jewelry?

A: I've always had a creative side and had started making sculptures out of wire but felt limited in what I could do. So I looked into taking a jewelry class as something fun to do while getting my veterinarian medicine degree. Needless to say, I never got that veterinarian degree.

Q: What is your favorite process? Why that one over others?

A: Fabrication. It's exciting to be able to take raw materials and turn them into something beautiful, something that I've either sketched on paper or have imagined in my head.

Q: Who is your favorite artist/who do you wear?

A: Alexander Calder

Q: Is there an artist on your personal wishlist that you hope to own one day?

A: Judy Geib

Q: What is something you would want someone to know about your work that they might not know?

A: I really do fall in love with every piece that I make. I take pictures of the process, and when it is finished, I set it up nicely and adoringly take a bazillion pictures. With very special pieces, it can be hard to let them go, but it's always so wonderful to know that someone else has fallen in love, too.

Q: When you're not making jewelry, what are you doing?

A: I love taking walks on the beach after work at sunset. I also love to go camping and backpacking. Lately have been doing boat-in camping, which is just too much fun!

Q: This show centers around more unique jewelry making materials. What drew you to those materials?

A: I'm slightly addicted to finding unique stones. I like bright colorful stones, as well as stones that have translucency and illusionary qualities. In addition, I love to incorporate plique-a-jour into my work. It's like a little surprise in each piece as the sun shines through. It's a great way to add color to a piece while still allowing the metal to shine.

Q: How do you source the materials that you use?

A: I fabricate using recycled metals. In addition, I source stones from a few small lapidarists in the United States and one in India. As much as possible, I strive to work with lapidarists who work with sustainably sourced stones.

Q: The materials featured in this show are oftentimes overlooked in traditional jewelry making. What are your goals for using them in your work?

A: I want to use interesting stones and set them in my unique "Captured" way so that the wearer knows they have something special -- a piece of jewelry that no one else has. And with plique-a-jour, it's a signature technique I've used since the early 2000s. It's a rare practice, and I like to use the enamels in a way that feels modern and has a bit of pop. It's important to me to make work that doesn't look like everything else.

Q: How would you describe your use of imagery in your work?

A: My work has a romantic modernity to it, and many times a playfulness because of the colorful nature of the stones or the plique-a-jour. The Captured setting has a dada-ist feel to it -- like the anti-setting. No prongs or bezel, but a cross bar to hold the stone in place. It has an elegant assertiveness to it.

Hilary Finck
She/Her

San Francisco, CA

To shop her collection CLICK HERE

Hilary Finck

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