The Designer
karen clark
Karen Clark grew up in a family that celebrated and nurtured all creative pursuits. During her child hood she was able to explore a wide range of visual media and develop her own unique sense of style. Jewelry as a form of creative self-expression held the most passion for her.
After Graduating in 2000, with a BFA in textile design from Moore College of Art and Design in, Karen pursued a career as a jewelry designer for a small trend jewelry design company in New York. The pace was exhilarating, but the process of having her intricate designs mass-produced, left her hungry for limited in house production work. In the spring of 2003, she decided to launch her own jewelry line. At the same time Karen pursued and completed her MFA in mixed media at Howard University in 2005.
Apexspire Jewelry represents Karens sense of universal rhythm and beauty while embodying her own contemporary individualized edge. She integrates metalsmithing techniques including fabrication, roll printing, fine knot work and casting to produce an innovative tactile line of work. As the designer of Apexspire Jewelry, Karen is completely focused on creating jewelry that separates the individual from the masses.
As a visual artist it is important for Here to be able to successfully communicate concepts in a variety of visual media. Pursuing fine art is directly connected to producing jewelry. Both forms of creativity need each other. Formal design principals such as color, line value and scale are constantly being communicated in both her jewelry and fine art. The articulation and materials used are the only changing variables. Karens thought processes and concepts remain the same. The translation of ideas is challenging, inspiring and essential in the development of her creative existence.
