GALLERY
On view in the isles
PHOTOS BY GEORGE LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Barbara Edelstein's needle woven necklace, above, is a rich mix of texture, shape and color. Below is a close-up of Patricia Greene's ornate peyote stitched bracelet.
Delicate lamp-work beads rich with color and the elegant accents of silver; the earthy gray and charcoal of pit-fired clay beads, set off with the occasional red streak of fired copper; whimsical lamp-work "critters" that mix vibrant colors, unpredictable shapes and the intricate detail of little eyes and limbs; African trade beads; pretty antique beads -- these are the eye candy that embody "Beadz, Beadz, Beadz," a creative collection of "eclectic adornment," on display through Sept. 27 at the Gallery at Ward Centre.
The show exhibits the works of a group of people who call themselves the Bead Hui. The members have a passion for the tactile baubles -- either making them, stringing them or both. Alicia Kawano Oh's choker displays her artistry not only with pit-firing, but also with the "figure-eight" wrap she weaves between the beads. Charlene Tashima strings fun bracelets and eyeglass chains using her lighthearted lampwork creatures. ("They're born in the torch," never planned, she says.) Barbara Edelstein doesn't make her own beads; rather, she incorporates trade beads, Chinese bone beads and the creations of fellow Bead Hui members (they regularly feature each others' works in their pieces) into one-of-a-kind needle-woven necklaces using colored threads.
Alicia Kawano Oh's pitfired beads strung together create a dramatic choker.
Other members included in the show, which the hui calls its "fourth annual eclectic adornment" exhibit, include Alethia Donathan (bead lovers will know her as the owner of DACS Beads), Patricia Greene, Mary Kamiya, Joel Park and Ann Teruya.
The Gallery at Ward Centre is open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. Call 597-8034.
Joleen Oshiro
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