The Bellevue Arts Museum presents Knitted, Knotted, Twisted & Twined: The Jewelry of Mary Lee Hu in an exhibition on view February 7 – June 17, 2012.
Mary Lee Hu Choker #87, 2002 18K and 22K gold 6 3/4 x 8 3/4 x 1 in. Collection of Marion W. Fulk Photo: Doug Yaple
Over the past 40 years, Mary Lee Hu has affirmed her distinctive voice in the world of jewelry with her elegant, voluptuous creations. Using wire the way hand weavers use thread, Hu has blazed a trail as both artist and innovator, exploring the nexus between metalsmithing and textile techniques. Keen to metal’s ability to bend and manipulate light within a textured surface, Hu’s work is a testament to her sophisticated eye for weightless and rhythmic lines, translated into body adornment. Featuring more than 90 exquisite earrings, rings, brooches and neckpieces drawn from public and private collections internationally, this retrospective traces Hu’s evolution from her experimental designs of the 1960s to today’s creations full of light and movement. – www.bellevuearts.org