

Today we’d like to introduce you to Daria de Koning.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I have been making jewelry since I was a little girl. It began with beads of wood and plastic until I took a goldsmithing class when I was 18 – I knew at that moment that I wanted to create jewelry forever. I could sit for hours at the bench with not a care for anything else!
I was in college at the time and on my way towards a major in graphic design, so I kept up jewelry-making on the side. My thesis was creating my own “jewelry company identity” and post-college, I went right to graduate school for gemology. I have always been collecting rocks and gems, especially colorful, rare and unusual specimens, and those stones are a core element of my work today. Armed with my degree, I went to work for another designer, before striking out on my own, mainly doing custom engagement rings. That morphed into doing other custom work for people, which then turned into me making things for fun for myself, and now is a full-blown annual collection.
Please tell us about your art.
Color and shape are the two main things that influence me. When I see certain shapes or colors, I know they are meant to be together. And of course, art is influential. I like the colors of impressionist landscapes from Monet and Seurat as much as the angles and geometry of the abstract and absurd by Stella, Miro and Dali. Also how elements and angles come together. The natural growth and ultimate shapes of gems and rocks as they’re formed really get me going.
But, I’m not sure I translate my inspiration by these artists directly into my work so much as to be inspired to keep creating and challenging myself to invent and produce. Jewelry is made of “hard” elements like gold and gemstones; I like the challenge of using these rigid materials and creating something that feels fluid – evoking for the wearer that feeling of movement of color, movement of elements that I see in the paintings.
What do you think about the conditions for artists today? Has life become easier or harder for artists in recent years? What can cities like ours do to encourage and help art and artists thrive?
Actually, I think things have gotten both harder and easier. Online retailers and social media can make it easier to get your brand out there, find clients and make sales if you can stand out above the competition/”noise”. But those things also take a lot of time and energy to keep up with, which often gets in the way of creative time – it can be hard to find a balance.
Word of mouth for artists is key. I think L.A. has a great, accessible art scene and I love the idea of sites like Voyage, or even institutions like museums, listing and promoting entrepreneurs/artist to give them exposure.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
I have a studio where I host private appointments, but I travel frequently all over the country/world to stores, clubs and private homes to do shows. I also sell online.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dariadekoning.com
- Phone: 310-873-3236
- Email: sales@dariadekoning.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dariadekoning/
Image Credit:
Josh Haskin, Elio Tolot, Daria de Koning
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