The Clay Studio offices, galleries, open studio, and school will be closed on Friday, July 4, 2025, in honor of the Independence Day Holiday.
Kya Parris
As an artist of color, my work is a point of connection—linking me with others, the world, and myself. Growing up disconnected from my cultural heritage, art has become a space of exploration, where I explore themes of identity, culture, and memory.
My focus in jewelry and metalworking further deepens these connections, as my way to start conversations about personal and collective experiences. Jewlery is not just an ornamentation, but vessels of story, memory, and emotion. It transforms the body, allowing one to wear their history, emotions, and narrative.
As a metalworker, I am attracted to the material's ability to hold both form and memory. Metal can be shaped, hardened, or melted, allowing it to capture the tension between past and future. Through pushing, pulling, and mark making I imprint each piece with human emotion and experience. My work is defined by the marks I leave behind, a form of recording through wax carvings, painted enamels, and chasing and repoussé techniques. These processes help me balance strain and ease, while engaging both the physical and emotional realms.
50% of your purchase directly supports the artist, and 50% of
your purchase supports the operations of The Clay Studio, a nonprofit that serves 35,000 people,
including 2,000 underserved school children, each year.
