Chihiro Makio
Before Chihiro Makio began making jewelry, she had dreamed of becoming a painter or glass artist. Makio graduated from the Massachusetts College of Art in 2000 with a degree in Glass Blowing, but the artist had always preferred to work in fine detail, an element that large-scale, sculptural glass blowing cannot provide. To compensate, Makio began experimenting with metal-smithing and has been making fine jewelry ever since. Makio's work is produced from a foundation of precision craftsmanship and an adept mastery of her chosen mediums. The artist creates primarily in sterling silver, incorporating geometric elements into her work, which give her designs a tessellated, mosaic appearance. She continues to create and design at her studio 314Studio in Easthampton, Massachusetts.