Emily Draus

The art I create is driven by the yearning I have for storytelling. It seems that no matter what I design, there’s a secondary drive behind it- whether that be a personal memory or a story I’ve consumed or created. My childhood was the beginning of my fascination with superhero comics, war stories, and high fantasy, and I’ve carried it with me into adulthood. I’ve always been an avid book reader and fictional writer, and it influences every part of my life, including my jewelry design. 

I tend to blend themes of arms/armor and nature to varying degrees. I find that the forms already have substantial overlap: Plate armor and scales, feathers and arrows, and the formation of a large, composite structure from smaller pieces, as in skeletons and chain mail. Beyond the visual, there are also similarities in themes. Both arms and armament as well as nature rely on ideas of survival, protection, chaos, sanctuary, balance, mercy, and personal nature. I use color techniques to add variation to the plates of titanium that I use, oftentimes layered and gently bent, but kept simple and minimal. Details of silver can often be seen capping my titanium work, as well as cast into both rings and bracelets. 

When someone wears my work, I want them to be able to peer into a new world, whether it’s one they imagined but could never reach or one they haven’t even considered. I would hope my pieces- a necklace that looks like a hero’s chestplate, a ring that an elven archer would wear as an ornament, or a bracelet that signals a warriors valor- can allow them to feel just a little bit more fantastical. I would like to present these minute stories to a wearer, and take pleasure in the knowledge that through my work, they can participate in a world that becomes just a little more magical, even if only for a moment.