Vessel #2 - Holding Place

Materials: Copper
Dimensions: 5" diameter, 4.5" tall

Raised copper bowl with a liver of sulphur surface treatment.

Photo credit: Mark Herndon

Theresia St. Vrain
Santa Fe, NM. USA

I am a self-taught jeweler and metalsmith working out of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Though having explored many mediums in my years as an artist, I have been crafting unique pieces of jewelry and metalwork for twelve years now. My approach to the craft is one of fabricating each piece individually, focusing on work with clean lines and an organic aesthetic that does not rely on mass production techniques. This method allows me to revisit given pieces many times with an avid curiosity, revealing new aspects and furthering my ideas’ narrative with each endeavor. In this sense, each of the pieces is a one of a kind representation of my rich communication with the metals that I wield.


These containers and vessels definitely hold their place in the world of stunning art objects as well as in the world of metalsmithing.

Since the dawn of time humans have created containers to hold things that were important to them, from large vessels to hold food and harvests to intimate containers for small precious things. They might hold memories, ashes, medicine, beverage, fruit or food - but all spring from the imagination and skill of the maker. Some have specific religious functions, some are meant for everyday use. When one thinks of a vessel or container the inclination is to think of something with solid walls - yet many of these works involve the exploration of positive and negative space, and the use of negative space to help create the illusion of the wall of the vessel.

As the world’s largest jewelry related internet site, Ganoksin strives to develop exhibitions showcasing work from around the world. This exhibition was open to all metalsmiths, professional and amateur, advanced and beginner. Participants are from The Netherlands, the USA, Canada, Australia, Costa Rica, the United Kingdom, Israel, Hong Kong, Colombia, Romania, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia and Denmark. While most of the pieces are by an individual metalsmith, some are collaborations, one of three artists spanning 50 years.

In total 319 artists contributed 729 show pieces for the permanent online exhibition.

Objects in the exhibition include boxes, lockets, urns, ash containers, bowls, wine cups, reliquaries, match holders, vases, teapots, pitchers, sugar bowls, baskets, nests, pillboxes, clutches and a range of sculptural forms. A variety of techniques are showcased covering a wide range of metalsmithing techniques. Materials used include everything from gold and silver to less expensive metals. Ornamentation includes the addition of enamel, chasing and repousse’, gemstones and found objects.

The exhibition was curated by Beth Wicker, President of the North Carolina Society of Goldsmiths in the United States, and Adjunct Instructor at Northeastern Technical College in South Carolina. Director of the exhibition is Hanuman Aspler, founder of The Ganoksin Project, the world’s largest internet jewelry site.