Wood + Body presents aspirational works of contemporary jewelry by leading international artists in the field who have dedicated their practices to exploring the relationship between the warm, changing, and living material of wood and the human body. Both wood and the body are rife with narrative and conceptual significance that is rooted in ancient art and literature but continues into the present. In the surprising but eminently wearable works on view, wood replaces the gemstone and beckons for a new way of valuing the “jewel.” As a group united by the condition of wearability and the use of wood, these intriguing works represent the wide range of creative approaches that characterizes contemporary jewelry practice. The exhibition includes several works from the Center’s permanent collection.
