Dot Necklace by Minori Takagi. Handmade in Vancouver, BC. Materials include Glass, Sterling silver 18" chain.

Growing up in Shizuoka, Japan, she watched her grandmother craft beautiful dresses with her old-style sewing machine. Her creations seemed like magic: raw materials transformed by skill and imagination. When she moved to Canada in 2006, her style evolved and she began to blend traditional designs with her unique impressions of “west coast modern.” She was captivated by the confidence of Vancouver’s women, the urban glass skyline, and the incredible ocean, forests, and mountains right at the city’s doorstep. By fusing her traditional Japanese techniques with modern Canadian inspiration, she developed a new style of “wearable art.” Adding to her repertoire of beadwork, her jewellery pieces now also feature chains, including some made from translucent glass. she forms these necklaces and earrings by linking handcrafted glass circles into one another, fashioning pieces that seem delicate but are actually resilient—solid loops that gleam radiantly in the light. With these forms, her glass art reminds her of the magic she used to watch my grandmother work—from raw substance emerges a new, poetic creation.