About
- Patricia r. Kolodny
Patricia Kolodny creates bold, one-of-a-kind jewelry inspired by ancient jewelry techniques as well as modern and contemporary art.
Patricia remembers the first piece that captivated her, an elegant ring of shells and gold crafted by the renowned sculptor Marguerite Stix. Her evolution as jewelry artist continued in the galleries of Princeton University Art Museum, where she shared stories, myths, and a passion for the wonders of the ancient artists as a docent. A fascination with the techniques of Incan, Etruscan, and Moroccan metalwork influenced her personal vision, bringing elements of heroism and history into her modern creations. Along the way, one can see the stamp of contemporary names like Suzanne Belperron, Art Smith, Dorothea Prühl, but Patti’s jewelry designs are always infused with traditions thousands of years old.
Always obsessed with the melding of organic materials like coral and pearls with the gemstones and precious metals found in the earth, she juxtaposes high karat gold with rubies or spinels, lapis and turquoise with diamonds. Eschewing an overly-conceptual approach, she prefers to let those materials inform and guide the overall design of a piece. The colors, the textures, the very structure of these precious stones, as well as the processes of production, reveal their own innate beauty in her workshop. Recently, she finds herself transitioning from elemental, dramatic statement pieces to an attention to smaller details and fine texture manipulation.
Patricia has, with her husband, curated a very personal contemporary art collection over many years, a reflection of her more individual work in the studio. Her life in the megalopolis of New York, as well as in the stony, sun-washed Cycladic islands of Greece, continues to intimately enhance her life’s work. She can quote arcane sports facts and statistics upon request. She also collaborates with a New York jewelry arts collective, Space85.
Acknowledgements
My deepest thanks to my teachers, Fred DeVos, Bianca Lopez, Sami Zeira, and Oleg Zaydman, who, with particular care and patience, have passed down to me the technical tools and artisanal knowledge without which my body of jewelry work would not be possible.
My profound appreciation to Daniel Baez, Nazar Oguluk, Carmen Riascos, and once again Oleg Zaydman, the artisans, fabricators, and craftspeople who took a direct hand in helping me bring my ideas and creations to full fruition.
My heartfelt gratitude to a special friend and mentor, Helen Williams Drutt, whose vast knowledge, insight, creativity, warmth, and enthusiasm have continued to inspire me for more than forty years.
Photo stylist: Jeanne Chou • Art direction & design: Audrey Moh • Copywriter: Peter Rott