SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 17, 2023 - San Francisco-based fine jewelry brand Cast is excited to announce their second collaboration with artist Windy Chien, The Circuit Collection. Inspired by Chien's iconic Circuit Board series, this high voltage collaboration translates graphic textile creations into wearable art. Like Chien's installations, each sculptural piece of jewelry makes a powerful statement.
The renowned Circuit Board series originated from Chien's fascination with the intersection of the early tech era and the role of women during that period. In the late 1960s, companies such as Fairchild Semiconductor and even the NASA Apollo missions turned to craftswomen, including Navajo weavers on Shiprock reservation in New Mexico, to assemble and construct the components of early circuit boards and computer memory modules. Chien's Circuit Board series pays homage to the contributions of women by using the weaving techniques of so-called "women's work" in contrast to the male-dominated tech world visual motifs. Installations from this esteemed collection are found in the homes of private art collectors, interior designers, and architects. Chien's first public art commission, a milestone for the studio, can be found at the University of Florida Gainesville in their brand-new Computer and Information Sciences building.
Windy explains, "This collaboration with Cast was a wonderful challenge because my Circuit Board artworks are intentionally detailed and busy. While this makes them impactful as oversized artworks, translating them to small jewelry pieces was not an obvious 'just shrink them' task. The Cast design team brilliantly zeroed in on the rows of Clove Hitches as a signature, singular element in the Circuit Boards. It's an incredible design solution I would not have come up with on my own. So, this was a true, and very satisfying, collaboration."
Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer Rachel Skelly adds; "We were ecstatic to work with Windy once again on another collection. Being such a big fan of her art, I've always especially loved the graphic patterning in her Circuit Board series. Translating that design into jewelry was a fantastic journey of collaboration and creativity. We were thrilled to see it come to life in such a striking way. The result is a stunning celebration of Windy's artistry, and a nod to the early craftswomen of tech."
The Circuit Collection features rich 14K gold, shimmering diamonds and sterling silver that come together in a story of connectivity.
The Circuit Collection ranges in price from $850-$3,200 and is currently available for purchase on www.castjewelry.com and in store at the Cast boutique in Marin, CA. Cast's first collection with Chien, Knot Life, featuring a ringbolt hitch knot in satin silver and 14 karat gold, woven over high polished rings of rich metal and charcoal jade is also is available for purchase on www.castjewelry.com and in store at the Cast boutique in Marin, CA.
ABOUT CAST
Cast is a place to discover unexpected wonder-filled fine jewelry. Founded in San Francisco and launched in 2021, Cast was created by two friends who wanted to make the experience of shopping for fine jewelry as joyful as wearing it. With Co-Founder Rachel Skelly at the design helm as Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder and CEO Eric Ryan guiding the path forward, Cast brings to life a new vision for fine jewelry with exclusive pieces designed in partnership with artists from around the world... Together, Skelly and Ryan are on a mission to cast wonder and invite everyone to experience the joy of fine jewelry. Welcome to Cast. Let your treasure hunt begin.
ABOUT WINDY
Following long careers at Apple and as owner of legendary San Francisco music shop Aquarius Records, Windy Chien entered the next phase of her artistic journey with the launch of her art studio in 2015. She now creates bold and yet human, tactical pieces for galleries and collectors from around the world. Her art became broadly known with the publication of her 2016 work, The Year of Knots, in which she learned a new knot every day for a year. Each of her ensuing bodies of work explore a single, exquisite knot in search of its ultimate expressive potential. The finished works are minimalist rope sculptures that utilize pattern, repetition, and monumental scale to emphasize the journey of the line. Her work ranges in size from a knot that can fit in the palm of a child's hand to room-sized installations that are sought after by institutions, museums, and private collectors alike. Clients include the National Geographic Society, the De Young Museum, the San Francisco MOMA, Nobu Hotels, Google, and the Kering Group, and her work has been covered by Wired, The New York Times and Martha Stewart. Windy lives in San Francisco with her rescued greyhound.
SOURCE Cast Jewelry
