Talin Keyfer
Art has always been a part of my life, a part of who I am. In 2020 after some difficult transitions, I decided to commit to my love of art full-time. My art medium is enamels and metals, focusing on contemporary jewelry.
I took my first cloisonné class in 1987 at 17 years old and have been captured by the fusion of glass to metal ever since. While earning an Art History degree at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA, I worked as an apprentice for Ricky Frank (a Master Enamellist). Despite working for Ricky Frank and taking a few classes at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, I am mostly self-taught.
Enamel (ground glass) lets me play with light, color, and dimension. When glass flows and fuses to metal it is an amazing and humbling process. I am not in complete control of a piece but a witness to the life it has. I love that enamels surprise me and I respect the history of the medium while exploring its contemporary possibilities. Metals allow me to tap into my architectural influences and design and build structures to support my cloisonné/enamel pieces.
My work has evolved as my life has changed. Art is the process by which I try to understand life. My enameling has changed from tight cell construction of cloisonné wire designs to more open fluid spaces exploring layers, textures, depth, and the dismantling of anything restrictive.
Art gives form to the imagination, of the creator, the aesthete, and in the case of jewelry, the wearer. My imagination is intrigued by the process of fusing and forming an idea into a piece of wearable art. I use enamel, copper, and silver to explore texture, layers, and depth in a single expression of adornment.
My inspiration comes from the world around me. Art represents my journey into a deep exploration of the convergence of spirit and nature. I love that my work is worn. It goes out into the world and adds beauty, interest, and connection. And the wearer becomes the Gallery for my art.
I live in Upstate, SC with my kids and my studio pup, Koda