Master metalsmith to lecture at BIMA

Bainbridge Island Museum of Art will present a lecture by Seattle master metalsmith and jewelry artist Nadine Kariya at 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 12.

The lecture will be followed by a reception with light food and drink.

“Nadine Kariya’s jewelry art retrospective reflects her decades of artistic visions and the times we have lived in,” said Greg Robinson, BIMA’s chief curator. “This master metalsmith shares 40 years of art making, reflecting a variety of inspirations spanning from her Japanese-American heritage to contemporary designs and personal and political narratives.”

Reserve a spot in advance at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3103150. There is a $5 suggested donation at the door. Kariya’s retrospective exhibition, “The Hammer and the Peony,” is on display through Feb. 4 in the Steve and Harriet Davis Community Gallery.

“Recently, I have felt compelled to make narrative statements,” Kariya said. “I carved my favorite bird, the Kingfisher, for two ecology-themed necklaces. Kingfisher Bon Voyage was inspired by mother-in-law Milly’s souvenir coaster from San Diego… and her ‘Michelangelo’ snack tray became the foundation for Kingfisher Caught Between Man’s God and Mother Nature.”

Kariya studied painting in graduate school and later realized that she was drawn to working in small-scale, focused ways. When she took a metals class, she discovered an entirely new world of materials and opportunities, including enameling and cloisonné. She now describes herself as a colorist who combines metal, gems and found objects, and enjoys “indulging the plasticity of metal.”

This program is part of the Eye on Artist Lecture Series at BIMA.