Biography

Devon Clark was born in Nelson, British Columbia, and grewup in the very sparsely populated village of Salmo. After high school, she became interested in jewellery at the Kootenay School of the Arts Center of Craft and Design where she completed a 3 year diploma program in the Jewellery and Small Object Design department in 1999. She continued her education at the Alberta College of Art and Design in Calgary, Alberta, where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in the Jewellery and Metals program in 2002.  While Devon is Canadian, a recent move with her family has landed her in Palm Harbour Florida!  She continues to work out of her studio under the label Devon Clark Metal Design, and is a co-founder of INFLUX Jewellery Gallery. Devon has been represented by some of Canada's top Craft galleries, and has also exhibited in France, Germany and Portugal.

Artist's Statement

I am a designer and builder of wares to adorn the body. Making jewellery is an extension of my love for fashion. I believe in Coco Chanel's philosophy that jewellery should not be worn to make a woman look rich, but to adorn her. For me beauty is found in a variety of different materials, from precious and semiprecious gems and metals to enamel, laminate and thread. Value can be present in any material if you love how it looks, so I tend to work with and wear a variety of them. While I am very inspired by the theories and visuals of the 1910's-1930's, my work encompasses a variety of styles stimulated from fashion and colour, to architecture, and the natural world. But in the end inspirational triggers can be found anywhere and in anything. While the origin of the inspiration is always in flux, key elements of my design style are present throughout the pieces which ties the different lines together. I like to work in series, exploring and pushing the idea of a form in many different directions. Often I create jewellery that is substantial in size, aggressive, solid and confident. Various techniques are implied to create the illusion of mass and weight, allowing the work to remain wearable and comfortable. Form and function are always important concepts considered. But sometimes I construct on a smaller scale, resulting in a more romantic, feminine and delicate look.