IG: @mcsalismetalworks
mcsalismetalworks.com

Fabulous Fridays

My thesis, Fabulous Fridays is focused on using the neck and chest as my canvas, as this is an open and vulnerable area of the body. I am interested in this area because it is physically strong but often exposed, which has led me down a path full of ideas around both adornment and protection. I want to embellish these areas and draw attention to their strength while simultaneously wanting to protect and shield them. To expand on this idea I look back in time. I look to the medieval period and I see how chainmail provided soldiers with security, strength, and confidence.

This series of chainmail jewelry aims to represent the feelings I’ve accumulated when noticing how what I wear on the outside of my body makes me feel on the inside. Jewelry has provided me with confidence, empowerment, security, and the ability to go into the world feeling emotionally protected. My practice in contemporary jewelry investigates the relationship between protection and adornment by utilizing chainmail as a material aiming to evoke a sense of empowerment and confidence in the wearer and spark a conversation about the feelings jewelry can provide.

Bio

Emma McSalis is a jewelry designer and metalsmith from St.George, Vermont. Emma earned her BFA in metalsmithing/jewelry design at the Maine College of Art & Design in May 2024. Her passion for making jewelry started with a love for bending wire and stringing beads. Emma's work aims to exude her desire to adorn the body. Her love for both wearing and making jewelry drives her creative process as both a consumer and an artist to create pieces that she’d like to see more within the jewelry industry. Emma loves the body and creates work that celebrates and cherishes it.