Lauren Markley
Raleigh, NC | Exhibiting Since 2022
“My jewelry is my interpretation of my immediate surroundings. I use architectural forms and distressed surface treatments, such as scratches, burns, and peeling paint, to express my interest in the history and fading memories contained within dwellings and other structures. ”
Lauren Markley combines traditional metalsmithing skills with alternative techniques such as stitching through metal. Her work explores themes of architecture and history through a visual vocabulary that includes structural shapes and textures evocative of unfinished states and states of decay. Markley’s work is fabricated primarily of sterling silver, brass, and reclaimed wood. She often uses textiles, paint, patinas, and gold leaf to create focal points. Markley studied metalsmithing at Studio Jewelers LTD in New York. She has taken classes at Penland School of Crafts, Pullen Arts Center, and Pocosin Arts, all in North Carolina.