Elizabeth Walton is a studio jeweler and metalsmith from Asheville, North Carolina who received her Studio Art BFA with a concentration in metalsmithing and jewelry design from Appalachian State University. Her creative practice investigates the intimacy of jewelry and its ability to facilitate interactions between the maker and wearer and viewer through both one of a kind objects and limited line production jewelry. Elizabeth has participated in craft workshops at Penland School of Craft, Haystack Mountain School of Craft, the Pentaculum Residency at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts and assisted in teaching workshops at Pocosin Arts School of Fine Craft and Penland School of Craft. She has also recently taught a metalsmithing workshop at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts and is a member of the Southern Highland Craft Guild. Elizabeth’s work is represented by several galleries including Mora Designer Jewelry, Miya Gallery, and The Bascom: A Center for Visual Arts and her work has been shown broadly in regional museums and galleries.
Video by Cobalt Collective
Artist Statement
My observations of nature's resilience and ability to grow in response to its environment informs my practice. I am fascinated by the development of systems and their intentional disruption as a means of highlighting change. I typically work directly in metal, allowing me to explore the ways patterns emerge on multiple planes. The immediacy and ability to respond in the moment by manipulating linear-based material allows me to capture the nuance and beauty of the natural world.
I make wearable work because I am drawn to the intimacy of jewelry and its ability to facilitate interactions between the maker, wearer and viewer. Each piece is activated by the body and designed for wear in order to honor the presence and necessity of the wearer.
My design approach is rooted in simple shapes gaining complexity by repetition and layering. I set limits such as a repeating shape, system or pattern to dictate an arrangement of forms. Inspired by the slow yet systematic growth of nature into something magnificent, my work emerges in response to the limits I set. By thoughtfully disrupting the resulting patterns, I find an organic yet architectural language evoking intrigue and wonder.