Popular Burlington-based jewelry artist Jennifer Kahn is certainly one we are proud to sell at Stowe Craft Gallery. With a decade of experience in designing jewelry, her wearable art has an earthy, modern- bohemian feel that appeals to a wide range of free-spirits.
Shortly after graduating from the University of Vermont, Kahn was introduced to renowned jewelry artist, Celie Fago and became her apprentice and teaching assistant. For 9 years Kahn accompanied Fago in her travels around the country and abroad. During that period, she read an article in Time magazine about the concept of Wabi-sabi, a Japanese philosophy centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. Characteristics of the wabi-sabi aesthetic include asymmetry, roughness or irregularity, simplicity, economy, austerity, modesty, intimacy and appreciation of the ingenuous integrity of natural objects and processes.
What’s more beautiful…a rusty truck or a shiny new car? A flawless, perfectly cut diamond or the gem in its rough form? Many can see the obvious beauty in something new, modern, shiny. But the rusty truck has texture, color, history, a story! Kahn is someone who can appreciate the unexpected beauty in the mundane, in rusty old things, a torn scrap of old lace…
The concept of Wabi-sabi resonated with Kahn, and she realized her designs were already heading in that direction of beautiful imperfection, planned asymmetry. As Kahn traveled Japan with Fago, she viewed examples of wabi-sabi everwhere, further influencing her personal philosophy and jewelry work. Simultaneously inspired by ethnic artifacts and current fashion trends, Kahn’s jewelry is a fusion of old and new, industrial and natural, urban and ethnic.
The JK symbol used as Kahn’s logo is also the Chinese symbol for “forever.” Some Chinese characters are used in Japan’s writing system, and as if divinely inspired, she saw her logo all over Japan!
Kahn considers the best sentiment she can receive is hearing how many compliments her customers get when they wear her work!