Kristina Malcolm

Artist Statement
I use sterling silver primarily in my work because I consider it a precious metal in many different ways. Having worked with it for many years and using it as a media to overcome illness, I have a very intimate relationship with this material and have learned the subtle nuances of its behavior. Metaphorically speaking; I speak its language and it is home to me. I love the energetic 'hands-on' nature of this media and in creating my work, I focus on traditional materials and processes because of the deliberate construction progression. I also love metalsmithings' rich history and seriously consider permanence of materials in art. Our current culture has become obsessed with recycling and repurposing materials and when used in artistic creations, these materials do not lend themselves to becoming artifacts of the future. Art shows us how we are and identifies us in history. It's a snapshot of a moment in the world of the creator. It is a memoir in a universal language and therefore our legacy for future generations. Without using fine materials, art has no staying power. It is through this material that I find my voice and I am able to express ideas that are important to me. Like reliquaries of the past, I use my work to reflect quiet, beautiful, everyday moments that fall into place to form a fleeting yet perfect composition. They are meant to evoke a moment of contemplation by reminding us of the harmony around us. These are the moments that bring me peace and wellness and I want to share those peaceful moments to remind people to see the beauty in life.

Biography

Kristina started her adventures in art at the University of Akron where she double-majored in Sculpture and Metalsmithing in the early 90’s. Continuing her education on the west coast for ten years, the she studied Installation Art, Metalsmithing, Classical Sculpture, Performance Art, and Feminist Art History. Then in 2003, she returned to Summit County, Ohio where she started her own silversmithing business. Since then, Kristina has been supporting herself as a full-time, self-employed artist: metalsmithing, teaching, writing, lecturing, and actively participating in the arts all over Ohio. In 2014, she was selected out of fifteen entries to create an outdoor sculpture for Boettler Park in Green, Ohio and then in 2015, she returned to the University of Akron as part-time faculty. Continuing at that University in 2016, the artist was also awarded “Best in Show” at the Akron Arts Expo and Art-A-Palooza (nationally recognized fine art festivals). One year later, Kent State University awarded her with a full tuition remission and stipend where she completed her MFA in late 2018. The following year was spent expanding her business and further developing materials such as glow-in-the-dark enamel; for which she was recognized in The Art of Fine Enameling, published in November 2019 and also was a recognized artist again for Akron Arts Expo. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kristina had 24 pieces in an exhibition of the Best of 2020 Ohio’s Designer Craftsman, work in the Baltimore Jewelry Centers, the Magnet Show and the Fava Gallery’s Pause: Art in Waiting. Later that year, she received honorable mention for a cuttlebone cast cuff bracelet in the Summit Artspace show commemorating the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. So far this year, she has exhibited work in Fresh 2021, a juried art show also at Summit Artspace and the invitational: Excellence/Defining Space at Peninsula Art Academy, and has been awarded her fifth copyright by the US Library of Congress. Currently you can visit her solo exhibition: TinkeRings, in the 3G Gallery of Summit Artspace.
Kristina truly loves what she does and works toward increasing awareness and appreciation of the arts, entrepreneurship, and craftsmanship.