About the Artist
Amber is a studio artist practicing in small-scale sculpture and art jewelry. After experimenting with metal as a material for a number of years, she began a self-guided focus in metalsmithing at the Stamps School of Art and Design at the University of Michigan. She debuted her first functional object jewelry line Bittersweet Adornment: Tasting & Memories at Work Gallery in April 2012.
After graduating summa cum laude with her BFA, she built her own studio and kicked off her career with a booth in the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, The Original. Her work has appeared in shows around the country. Harrison was recognized by Halstead Bead, placing 9th in the 2013 Halstead Grant, Top 10 for Business Planning and Silver Design competition. Harrison received a Ribbon of Merit for her 5 piece jewelry collection Nostalgic Artifacts in the 2014 national juried show Molten, through Kavanagh Gallery in Illinois. During November 2014 Harrison exhibited in the Philadelphia Museum of Art Contemporary Craft Show. Harrison has been participating in American Craft Council (ACC) shows since the spring of 2016. She was recognized by American Craft Week as one of the Rising Stars: 30 Exceptional Craftspeople Under The Age of 30 in August of 2016, and featured in the October edition of Handmade Business magazine. In November 2017 Harrison was awarded the first Handmade Entrepreneur of the Year Award by Handmade Business magazine. Harrison continues to learn and test new techniques, while designing based on inspiration through objects and narrative. She believes there is something special about a handmade object of purpose, and the preservation of a craft.
"I look at my pieces as individual time capsules: vessels containing meaning and memories. Nostalgia, place, interaction, and ritual are all facets I incorporate. Each sculpture is carefully planned but I allow the material to direct me while I am working. I make pieces that to me are the “everyday extraordinary.” These are moments with objects we tend to overlook which shape us and make us. Moments I am making small-scale monuments for out of the most fitting material, metal." -Amber D. Harrison
After graduating summa cum laude with her BFA, she built her own studio and kicked off her career with a booth in the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, The Original. Her work has appeared in shows around the country. Harrison was recognized by Halstead Bead, placing 9th in the 2013 Halstead Grant, Top 10 for Business Planning and Silver Design competition. Harrison received a Ribbon of Merit for her 5 piece jewelry collection Nostalgic Artifacts in the 2014 national juried show Molten, through Kavanagh Gallery in Illinois. During November 2014 Harrison exhibited in the Philadelphia Museum of Art Contemporary Craft Show. Harrison has been participating in American Craft Council (ACC) shows since the spring of 2016. She was recognized by American Craft Week as one of the Rising Stars: 30 Exceptional Craftspeople Under The Age of 30 in August of 2016, and featured in the October edition of Handmade Business magazine. In November 2017 Harrison was awarded the first Handmade Entrepreneur of the Year Award by Handmade Business magazine. Harrison continues to learn and test new techniques, while designing based on inspiration through objects and narrative. She believes there is something special about a handmade object of purpose, and the preservation of a craft.
"I look at my pieces as individual time capsules: vessels containing meaning and memories. Nostalgia, place, interaction, and ritual are all facets I incorporate. Each sculpture is carefully planned but I allow the material to direct me while I am working. I make pieces that to me are the “everyday extraordinary.” These are moments with objects we tend to overlook which shape us and make us. Moments I am making small-scale monuments for out of the most fitting material, metal." -Amber D. Harrison
