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© 2014 Lillstreet Art Center4401 N Ravenswood AveChicago, IL 60640
Artwork © the artists. Photographs by the artists, Guy Nicol, Larry Sanders, and Joe Tighe. Designed by Jess Mott Wickstrom. Edited by Tracey Morrison.Exhibition: January 24 - March 2, 2014.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, or by any electronic or mechanical means, without permission in writing from Lillstreet Art Center.
Cover image: Heejin Hwang, Sensuality II
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I N T R O D U C T I O N
are shown alongside Ewoldt’s expressive,
formed vessels fabricated with copper
sheet and finished with colorful patinas.
Hwang’s intricate steel wire and gold body
adornments contrast Webber’s clever
constructions made of everyday materials
like coins and screws.
When seen together, the collection of
work in “Sense of Scale” inspires viewers
to reconsider the conventions of both
material and construction in contemporary
metalsmithing and to marvel at the level
of craftsmanship achieved by these
incredible artists.
– Jess Mott Wickstrom, Gallery Director
“Sense of Scale: Metal Sculpture and
Wearable Art” presents new work by four
accomplished metalsmiths who were
challenged to create both small, wearable
jewelry and impressive sculpture for
the wall or pedestal. Sarah C. Chapman,
Darlys Ewoldt, Heejin Hwang, and Stacey
Lee Webber are connected by their
experiences as teachers (both past and
present) in Lillstreet’s deeply rooted
metals department and the diversity
of their work speaks to the variety of
techniques, materials, and approaches
being taught here.
Chapman’s refined and detailed pieces
made with precious metals and stones
Sarah C. Chapman grew up in Chicago and studied metalsmithing at Northeastern Illinois
University. Formerly an instructor at Lillstreet, she currently lives in Minneapolis and
works in the Casket Arts Building in the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District. She has
worked as a studio jeweler, metalsmith, and educator for over 15 years. Chapman exhibits
and sells her work at juried art fairs and galleries, primarily in the Midwest. In addition,
she has exhibited at Chicago’s 2012 SOFA exhibition and won the Revere Academy’s Mort
Abelson Scholarship Award.
Artist Statement: The objects I make are inspired by architecture, by nature as architect,
and by my desire to build. I am struck by the process of building, how decisions are made,
items are organized, and how a structure grows from nothing. I strive to find an aesthetic
balance between the industrial and natural worlds, with a focus on functionality. My
structures are fabricated, cast, cold-connected, soldered, etched, and die formed. I
primarily work with oxidized sterling silver, copper, brass, and 14k gold to create my
pieces. Since 2008, I have been using recycled, conflict-free, and SCS certified gold and
sterling silver when fabricating my jewelry and sculpture, also using repurposed brass and
copper when possible.
Sanctuary Ring, 2012Sterling silver, 14k gold, and boulder opal.1.25 x 1.75 x 1 inches
Sarah C. Chapman
Compass Necklace, 2010Sterling silver, 22k gold, and pearl.Pendant: 2 x 1 x .5 inches; Chain: 22 inches
Sarah C. Chapman
Square Drop Earrings, 2012Sterling silver, 14k gold, and pearl.
1 x 1.5 x .25 inches
Sarah C. Chapman
Trireme #3, 2013Sterling silver, brass, shell.
Pendant: 1.25 x 4.5 x 1 inches; Chain: 38 inches
Sarah C. Chapman
Pod Ring, 2012Sterling silver, copper, and ruby. 2 x 2 x 1.5 inchesCompass Bangle, 2014Sterling silver, 14k gold. 2.5 x 3 x 1 inches
Sarah C. Chapman
Trireme #1, 2013Sterling silver, copper, and smoky quartz.
Pendant: 4.5 x 5 x .75; Chain: 38 inches
Sarah C. Chapman
Constellation Points 1-9, 2014Copper, brass, sterling silver, nickel, steel, and various stones. 29 x 17 x .5 inches
Wrapped Around Myself, 2013Angle raised, formed, fabricated and patinated copper.17.5 x 17 x 8.5 inches
Throughout her childhood in rural Iowa, Darlys Ewoldt felt compelled to draw and make
things from a variety of materials. She was introduced to using metals at Drake University,
where she received a BFA in 1977. In 1982 she earned an MFA from Indiana University.
During the ensuing years, Ewoldt has lived and worked in Chicago, IL. She has received
numerous grants and awards and has conducted national and international workshops on
forming metal and patination processes. Her work has been included in many exhibitions,
public and private collections, and publications. In addition to working in her studio,
Ewoldt currently teaches at Columbia College Chicago and Lillstreet Art Center. Her
three-dimensional forms are realized through the hammering and fabrication of flat
sheets of metal; layers of chemicals result in a rich surface coloration.
Artist Statement: Fragments of thoughts, memories, and interpretations of physical
objects converge to influence and realize the objects I make. Experiences of traveling,
transitions observed in the landscape, images suggested in poetry, and the decay
and rejuvenation of nature provide inspiration. In recent years, studies of birds, their
colors, forms, and movements, have captured my attention and imagination. I am also
intrigued by the mystique and secrets of interior spaces. Their introspective character
evokes images held in memory or encountered in reality. In my work, the exterior of a
form often contrasts with the interior, resulting in a dichotomy of spirit.
Darlys Ewoldt
Night Garden, 2013Angle raised, formed, fabricated and patinated copper.5.5 x 6.5 x 3 inches
Darlys Ewoldt
Unfolding Within, II, 2012Angle raised, formed, fabricated and patinated copper.
7 x 7 x 5 inches
Darlys Ewoldt
Rotation, 2014Angle raised, formed, fabricated
and patinated copper.21 x 20 x 7 inches
Darlys Ewoldt
For Charlotte, 2011Angle raised, formed, fabricated and patinated copper.14 x 11.5 x 5.25 inches
Darlys Ewoldt
Bracelets, 2013Sterling silver.3 x 5 x 3.25 inches
Darlys Ewoldt
Triangle Brooch, 2013Sterling silver.
5 x 2 x 1 inches
Heejin Hwang is originally from South Korea. She graduated with an MFA in metals
from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2012. Heejin also holds a BFA degree in
metals from Konkuk University and an MFA from Seoul National University in South
Korea. Her work has been shown at galleries and museums internationally, including
Silver Triennale (Germany), Bellevue Arts Museum, The Society for Cotemporary
Craft, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, and Shemer Art Center & Museum. She
lectured at SOFA Chicago in 2012 as one of the SNAG emerging artists represented by
Pistachios (Chicago). She completed Lillstreet’s artist-in-residence program in 2013.
Artist Statement: My work is about the tension between structure and sensuality. I
am interested in framing female identity through the lens of beauty, control, dignity,
strength and vulnerability. By building simple structural units into complex sculptural
forms, organic shapes give way to fortified architectural systems. Steel wire is used
as basic material, and a continuous line of wire is shaped into interpenetrating forms.
As multiple units complete a perfect structure, the whole becomes animated and my
jewelry comes to life. The human body is the perfect context for my three-dimensional
forms. As people imagine building an ideal house of their own, I also imagine building
my house of jewelry on the human body.
Dropping II, 2011Crocheted steel wire.31 x 10.5 x 5 inches
Heejin Hwang
Sensation II Series, 2013Steel, enamel, gold leaf.16 x 6.5 x 1.5 inches
Heejin Hwang
Dropping I, 2011Crocheted steel wire.44 x 7 x 7 inches
Heejin Hwang
Sensation II Series, 2013Crocheted steel wire, sterling silver, and gold leaf.
6 x 3.5 x 2.5 inches
Heejin Hwang
Sensuality II, 2011Woven steel wire.20 x 19 x 3 inches
Stacey Lee Webber was born into a large family in the suburbs of Indianapolis. She
entered Ball State University and was quickly enamored with the labor-intensive
nature of the jewelry and metalsmithing field. She earned a BFA in 2005 and continued
her education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 2008, she received an MFA
with honors, including the national Women’s Jewelry Association Student Scholarship.
Following graduate school Stacey Lee Webber moved to Chicago where she was a
year-long resident artist at Lillstreet Art Center. In August 2010 Webber made a pivotal
move to Philadelphia where she currently resides. Webber continues to teach while
focusing on building her own business making and selling jewelry and artwork.
Artist Statement: America is built on laborers–men and women who work corn farms,
printing presses, semis, and construction sites. I value skilled physical labor and am
proud to follow in my own ancestors’ footsteps by using my hands in everyday life.
Unlike my forefathers, as an artist in the twenty-first century I am able to make art
objects that exist as declarations of the importance of the handmade while challenging
these same systems. Through technique and design my artwork manipulates materials
and forms that evoke pride in American working-class heroes and highlight America’s
iconographic history. My objects are celebrations of American families and the blue-
collar work ethic that binds the heart of the United States.
Portraits of a Post Industrial American: Bouquet, 2013Brass screws, bronze.25 x 14 x 14 inches
Hans Peter Sundquist
Lacrosse, 2012Spray Paint on Laminate, 16 x 12 inches
Stacey Lee Webber
Screw Hoops, Studs, and Rings, 2014Sterling silver, steel and brass.Various dimensions.
Stacey Lee Webber
Screw Chain, 2013Brass screws, 10ky gold plating.
17 x 1 inches
Study in Line, 2010
Graphite on Vellum12 x 18 inches
Stacey Lee Webber
The Craftsmen Series: Liberty Keyhole Saw, 2012Copper pennies, cast bronze pennies, bronze
20 x 4.5 x 1 inches
Stacey Lee Webber
Abe Conjoined Earrings and Abe Hinged Bracelet, 2014Copper pennies.Various dimensions.
Stacey Lee Webber
Penny Chain, 2013Patinated copper pennies.
17 x .75 inches
Stacey Lee Webber
The Grand March (detail above and installation view right), 2008 - ongoingCut coins.Various dimensions.
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