TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - As a jewelry artist, Sunyoung Cheong likes to infuse stories into her work.
Cheong uses experiences from her own life or communicates back and forth with individuals who have commissioned her work as a jumping-off point. One commission involved a man who wanted an engagement ring inspired by his girlfriend’s island roots.
Though she describes her jewelry as “contemporary,” it also has “no boundaries,” meaning that she embraces both traditional techniques and modern technologies.
Cheong’s foray into jewelry making wasn’t intentional. When she was touring the University of Kansas, she met a professor and visited the metal studio.
“It changed my point of view,” she said.
During Cheong’s first semester at KU, she said she was scared. Not only was her experience in jewelry making limited, but she also was still improving her English, raising two sons and commuting from Topeka to go to school.
While at KU, she studied everything from wood working to 3-D printing.
She also became an instructor, teaching 3-D computer-aided design for three years.
“It turned out to be a good choice,” she said.
In May 2014, she obtained an MFA in jewelry design and metalsmithing. Her MFA show was inspired by her youngest son, who liked to play with Legos. Cheong said she wanted to create something that was connected to her kids and that she is interested in having her work be tactile and experienced. The project consisted of units that could be built upon each other to create wearable jewelry pieces.
About five months after graduating, she opened a studio in Topeka at 929 S. Kansas Ave.
In the studio, Cheong has tools to design, create models, cast, finish and stone set. She typically starts by sketching out an idea and then uses computer programs to further the design. A computer numerical control milling machine is utilized to carve out an object, layer by layer. For laser cutting projects, she has to go to a lab in the Kansas City area. Her 3-D pieces involve sending a file to a company in New York, where the finished piece is printed.
The Topeka Capital-Journal (https://bit.ly/1Sv5Q8g ) reports that Cheong’s work uses a variety of materials, including wood, plastics, foam, precious metals and fabrics.
In July 2015, Cheong had her first solo show since graduating. The exhibition was in South Korea and was interactive. Visitors could play with the pieces in the show and build their own wearable jewelry.
Later this January, Cheong will have work shown at the Arrowmont Galleries in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and at the Octagon Center for the Arts in Ames, Iowa.
A lot of her time also is spent on personal projects. She has made gifts for her husband’s students - he is a professor at Washburn University - and her sons’ friends, among many others.
Cheong’s studio is open to the public on First Fridays. She also plans to start a 3-D design class and other workshop opportunities in the near future.
___
Information from: The Topeka (Kan.) Capital-Journal, https://www.cjonline.com
Please read our comment policy before commenting.