Reiko favors forms inspired by nature; for example, thin strips of metal are worked until they become the tendrils of a vine climbing up the arm in the form of a bracelet, or with a pin on the back, a brooch.

Her jewelry often looks as if it could be deformed by the slightest pressure back into flat metal. But, in fact, Reiko has work-hardened it into a permanent arc. The sensation of fragility is the artist’s illusion.

Reiko Ishiyama is entirely self-taught.