Necklaces made from vintage Japanese kimonos, brooches adorned with crushed eggshell, and rings with “stones” created from plastic litter all made a showing at the 2023 opening benefit preview for MAD About Jewelry, the annual pop-up sale of contemporary artist-made jewelry at the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) in New York City.
Those attending the opening festivities on Tuesday, April 25, donned their most beloved jewelry to celebrate the weeklong pop-up sale. The sale features 50 artists from 20 countries selected to come to the museum and showcase their work. It runs through Saturday, April 29.
Beyond gold and silver, the artists employed a wide variety of materials, from discarded wine bottles and seashells to wood, Lucite, bank notes from Guyana, and pleated paper. Artists from Brazil and Estonia participated in the sale for the first time, joining makers from Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, and North America. About a third of the makers were young emerging artists.
See highlights of the jewelry worn at the benefit preview by clicking on the photos below to learn about what they show.
