bio & statement

Cynthia Rohrer is an independent studio jeweler living and working in her native California, in the city of San Francisco. She began her study of Metal Arts and Jewelry at City College San Francisco, went on to receive a two year fellowship to Penland School of Crafts in NC, and has spent time at the Mendocino Art Center as a resident, and as a teacher.

She works primarily in sterling and gold, at times with the addition of steel, paper, porcelain, or thread. She strives in her work and studio practices to maintain a low environmental impact, and uses only 100% recycled fine metals, refined in the US. Her work has been featured in Metalsmith magazine’s Exhibition in Print, and is represented nationally. She is the sole proprietor of Paper & Gold (an affordable line of eco-minded jewelry), specializes in sustainably made custom commitment rings, and is available for garden design.

As I attempt to pare down, reduce, have less, and simplify, I seek to source materials from cast-offs and discards as much as possible. I am exploring the use of artist grade scrap paper as a pairing for the precious metals used in my jewelry. Matte and shiny, recycled and recyclable, these materials share what is for me a pleasing affinity, and an ability to be fabricated in the much the same manner.

As ever, my work centers around silhouettes, framing, and form. I develop small groupings of simple shapes into more complex decorative patterns, and enjoy the easy satisfaction of shadow play upon the forms.