Ornamental Elements

Sharon Church is best known for her carved jewelry forms. “She carves forms inspired by nature – pods and flowers that have evolved from seed and a division of cells. They burst with life. Paradoxically, she works in materials that were once alive and now are dead: bone, horn and wood – they physically embody the life cycle. Forged metal elements lend a different kind of life force to the work. The rhythmic pounding of the metal spreads life like a heartbeat into elements that support and structure the work. Together, the carved and forged forms embody a symbolic language of growth and decay, death and renewal – timeless images that are at once tender and powerful.”