F-1: Foreigners Living the American Jewelry Dream

David Choi
Alexia Cohen
Yoshie Enda
Hana Hong
Manuela Jimenez
Jina Seo
Katja Toporski
Ariane van Dieveot
Lane Vorster
Leeyeon Yoo

Brooklyn Metal Works and Platforma are proud to present F-1: Foreigners Living the American Jewelry Dream, featuring 10 international jewelry artists who have been trained here in the United States.

Jina Seo “Faded” Neckpiece, 2014, Copper, fabric, thread, pigment

Platforma, a curatorial initiative launched by Bella Neyman and Ruta Reifen, will debut its inaugural exhibition, F-1, at Brooklyn Metal Works on May 3rd, 2014.

F-1 represents the visa status that all foreigners must procure to study in the United States. The purpose of the F-1 exhibition is to showcase work produced by foreign-born artists that were educated in the United States under an F-1 visa status.

F-1 will include the work of ten artists who have come to the United States from all corners of the world, including Belgium, South Africa, China, Korea, Germany, Colombia, Venezuela, and Japan. Their work, from aesthetics to materials (wood, concrete, porcelain, paper, fabric), is as diverse as their backgrounds. These individuals’ work combines the methodologies taught in United States schools with cultural references and art traditions that they identify with from home.

Founded in 2014, Platforma’s main goal is to bring art jewelry out of the confines of an intimate circle of curators, collectors, and connoisseurs and give it the same respect that is bestowed upon contemporary painting, sculpture, and design.  With this exhibition we seek to present work to an audience that is not familiar with art jewelry.

Platforma is the brainchild of Bella Neyman, a design historian and connoisseur, and Ruta Reifen, an Israeli jewelry artist and educator. A comprehensive catalogue will accompany the exhibition with an essay written by Jennifer Navva Milliken, an art historian, curator, and founder of INTER ALIA Projects. Brooklyn Metal Works (BKMW) is a metal art studio founded by Brian Weissman and Erin S. Daily that aims to promote the field of metalsmithing by providing a space for artists to work, as well as offer concept based classes and gallery space to promote artists, designers and makers.

For more information and please contact Bella Neyman and Ruta Reifen at platforma.one@gmail.com