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Designers From 18 Countries to Showcase at MAD
The Museum of Arts and Design’s annual contemporary jewelry sale and exhibition is happening in April.
Jewelry crafted in a diverse array of mediums will be on display at the Museum of Arts and Design’s upcoming “Loot: Mad About Jewelry” sale, like this piece from Mariko Kusumoto.
New York—The Museum of Arts and Design’s 19th annual “Loot: MAD About Jewelry” sale and exhibition will showcase a truly diverse group of contemporary design voices next month.
Hailing from 18 different countries, 55 artists—most of whom are exhibiting in New York City for the first time—will display their contemporary jewelry to the public.
Among the various jewelry artists and designers exhibiting will be Selvaggia Armani of Italy, who creates necklaces and brooches as part of her textile work. Armani is set to create hand-painted leather jewelry on-site during the show.
Also in attendance will be Mariko Kusumoto. Born in Japan and based in Massachusetts, Kusumoto manipulates fabric into unique three-dimensional forms through a proprietary heat technique.
She creates jewelry and sculpture this way, and has even collaborated with Jean-Paul Gaultier, who featured Kusumoto’s creations alongside his spring/summer 2019 gowns during Paris Haute Couture Week. 
The exhibiting jewelers’ work only gets more conceptual from there. Taiwanese artist Heng Lee explores the intersection of nature and the digital world through jewelry that incorporates downloaded images, laser-cut metal and embroidery, while Scotland-based Wanshu Li incorporates ultraviolet-reactive nylon and fluorescent paint into her jewelry that provides a different effect when viewed beneath UV light.
Loot Curator Bryna Pomp said that this year’s exhibition features many young artists, including four recent graduates of La Escuela de Arte 3, in Madrid, Spain, as well as more precious jewelry rendered in gold with precious stones than in the past that she called, “exceptionally original in design.”
“LOOT reflects the core of MAD’s mission to celebrate the creative process and connect audiences to contemporary art and design,” Loot 2019 co-chair Marsy Mittlemann said. “It presents an extraordinary opportunity for artists and viewers to interact with one another and engage in conversations around the work.
Her co-chair, Joan Hornig, echoed this, saying, “No other exhibition in the world brings viewers into contact with the diversity of design and designers showcased each spring at MAD. It is the perfect venue for both serious and first-time collectors to engage with global talent and purchase unique pieces of wearable art at every price point.”
As it has since 2016, a jury will choose one artist or designer to receive the Loot Acquisition Prize. A piece from that artist will become a permanent part of MAD’s jewelry collection.
The 2019 exhibition will run April 9 through April
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13, with a special opening benefit on April 8.
To purchase tickets for the benefit, visit the MAD museum website or contact Rebekka Grossman at 212-299-7712 or rebekka.grossman@madmuseum.org.
To purchase tickets for the benefit, visit the MAD museum website or contact Rebekka Grossman at 212-299-7712 or rebekka.grossman@madmuseum.org.
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