THE W GALLERY FEATURE ARTIST
Andrea Zagaris
Profile
Jewelry Designer: Andrea Zagaris
Location: Modesto, California U.S.A.
Experience: 13+ Years
Materials: Silver, Gold, Precious and Semi-Precious Stones.
Influences: Architecture and Different Styles of Ornamentation
Born in the Central Valley, California to two artistically talented parents, Andrea was exposed to and developed a love of art in all its forms from a very early age. Throughout high school and college, she continually found a way to incorporate art courses in a variety of mediums into her education. After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley with a Bachelor of Arts degree she began a career in Real Estate finance in Oakland, CA. While this was a great opportunity, she found herself frustrated at the end of each day, not having an outlet for her creativity.
She began making jewelry at home in her spare time, beginning with beading, progressing to making her own lamp work beads with a torch and kiln and taking local jewelry making classes in the Bay Area. Ultimately this would lead her to make a life changing decision, moving abroad to Florence, Italy to enroll in an intense, five-year course of study specializing in Jewelry Fabrication and Design.
In Italy, she became infatuated with the art of hand engraving and took the position of assistant to a Florentine Master of the Craft. It was during this time that she developed the style of “Florentine Fusion”, her own unique design style.
She describes “Florentine Fusion” as the utilization of the old world craft of Florentine engraving fused with contrasting design elements. Whether the contrast is between East and West, traditional and modern, symmetry and asymmetry, or simply light and dark, each piece is unique and painstakingly handcrafted with a definitive Florentine flair.
Stop by The W Gallery to view some of Andrea's incredible "Florentine Fusion" or check out her feature items in our online store.