Designer Discovery: Sakurako Shimizu

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Sakurako Shimizu is a different kind of multimedia artist: she incorporates several senses into his jewelry. Not only are her pieces visual and tactile experiences, but they also invoke anything from sound to internal biology.

Her “I Do” wedding band (top), for example, is part of her 2007-2008 Waveform Series, one of the most unusual jewelry ideas I’ve seen in a while. Shimizu laser-cuts the shapes of the waveform of a human voice saying “I do,” and custom makes them for any couple.

Other pieces in the collection follow the same principle, like the “bell” cuff, “giggle” necklace, “yawn” brooch, and “wow” brooch.

Over the years Shimizu has found other revolutionary ways to incorporate modernity and technology into her pieces. Each of 9 rings in a 1999 set represents the average weight of things like a human heart, a bird, or a plant. And in 2006 Shimizu produced HTML-based jewelry. One laser-cut sterling silver necklace was actually “a physical representation of the HTML code needed to display … ‘Jewelry’ via internet browser.”