VROOMAN DESIGNS

Brutal Elegance

” If nothing else, I hope my work evokes a sense that you’re looking at something all together different in style and content. This is not the same old same old.”

Pirate treasure, a King’s horde, precious stones from a lost jungle temple or gold coins at the bottom of the sea; These kinds of romanticized and spellbinding storybook images were David Vrooman’s first impression of jewelry as a youth, and continue as his Muse to this day.

 Fond of texture, he’s unrestrained with his handling of the mediums, pushing it to the brink of failure. 

  “I batter and scar the metal. I coil and twist it. I wrap, dome, tear, and burn it, then bind it back together with wire, patches, rivets, and fire.” 

His mysterious treasures are rendered from 18 karat gold and sterling silver and a variety of natural gemstones using primarily old school metalsmithing techniques. The process of casting is occasionally employed, but his first love is fabricating directly with the metal itself allowing for the artistic spontaneity that is central to his process.

 The pieces that emerge from this approach have a “Brutal Elegance” as one client so aptly put it. 

The fierce energy of the tormented metal and stone, combined with the sensitivity which follows brings a sense of dynamic balance, harmony and interest which sets this work apart.

All work is fashioned in his studio in Asheville, North Carolina by himself and his studio assistant. I welcome inquiries about custom work, and am eager to help transform intangible ideas into a physical piece.

At present, the Vrooman collection can be seen exclusively at the Aeriel gallery co-op, 19 Biltmore avenue, Asheville, North Carolina