Lego Jewelry Transforms the Childhood Toy to High Fashion Art

Artist emiko oye turns colorful childrens blocks into items that are ready to wear, not play

San Francisco-based artist emiko oye is getting attention for her unique brand of wearable art. She
specializes in turning unconventional materials into jewelry, including working with Lego products
since 2006. Shell be one of more than 50 exhibitors at the Smithsonian Craft2Wear event, taking
place October 25 and 26 at the National Building Museum

The artist says shes always found herself drawn to used materials. Its kind of part of my
makeup, she says. Growing up in Ohio, oye would make dolls out of her mothers old stockings.
It always felt good to be able to transform something that already existed, she says. That spirit
continued in college, where oye studied metalsmithing and fashion design. After graduation, she
moved to San Francisco and got involved with an arts guild that had been around since the 1950s.
In 2008, she had her first solo museum show

The now 40-year-old oye admits she didnt play with Lego as a kid. It was mostly geared towards
boys, she says. For that reason, turning the toy into jewelry serves as a way to reclaim it for
women. Its usually the moms who are buying or cleaning up or stepping on Lego, she says. Ive
got so many moms that are like, Oh, finally I can take it back for me!.

As it turns out, the products by Lego, a Danish company that introduced its famous bricks in 1958,
lend themselves well to fashion design. I saw this media that was limitless, pretty much, and
always changing and evolving, oye says. Plus, the product is more accessible than traditional
jewelry. Everybody has a connection to Lego in some way, she says. Their eyes light up when
they see my work because it touches in them something very personal and thats how jewelry
really is. She especially likes working with black and white Lego pieces because her customers can
match them to anything.

Armed with a jeweler's drill, oye manipulates the material, but tries to maintain its original form.
Some of her pieces can be clicked together, and customers have told her that their children have
tried to take the Lego jewelry apart.

Craft2Wear, presented by the Smithsonian Women's Committee, takes place October 25 and 26,
2014 at the National Building Museum. Tickets are available here.
Joyera Lego Transforma el juguete de la niez a Mayor Fashion Art.
Oye emiko artista convierte bloques de los nios coloridos en los artculos que estn listos
para usar, no para jugar.

Artista de San Francisco Emiko Oye est recibiendo atencin por su estilo nico de arte
para vestir. Ella se especializa en la transformacin de materiales no convencionales en
joyera, incluyendo el trabajo con productos de Lego desde 2006. Ella ser una de ms de
50 expositores en el evento Smithsonian Craft2Wear, que se celebra 25 y 26 de octubre
en el Museo Nacional de la Construccin.

El artista dice que ella siempre se sinti atrada a los materiales usados. "Es una especie
de parte de mi maquillaje," dice ella. Mientras creca en Ohio, oye haca muecas de
viejas medias de su madre. "Siempre me sent bien al ser capaz de transformar algo que
ya exista", dice ella. Ese espritu contina en la universidad, donde estudi oye orfebrera
y diseo de moda. Despus de graduarse, se mud a San Francisco y se involucr con un
gremio de artes que haban existido desde la dcada de 1950. En 2008, tuvo su primer
solo espectculo museo.

Con 40 aos de edad ahora, oye admite que no jug con Lego cuando era nia. "Se
orienta sobre todo hacia los nios", dice ella. Por esa razn, girando el juguete en la
joyera sirve como una manera de recuperar para las mujeres. "Por lo general, las madres
que estn comprando o limpiando o pisando Lego", dice ella. "Tengo tantas mams que
son como, Oh, por fin puedo tomar de nuevo para m!.

Como resultado, los productos de Lego, una empresa danesa que present sus famosos
ladrillos en 1958, se prestan bien para el diseo de moda. "Vi a este medio de
comunicacin que no tena lmites, ms o menos, y siempre cambiando y evolucionando",
dice oye. Adems, el producto es ms accesible que la joyera tradicional. "Todo el mundo
tiene una conexin con Lego, de alguna manera," dice ella. "Sus ojos se iluminan cuando
ven mi trabajo porque toca en ellos algo muy personal y que es como realmente es la
joyera." A ella le gusta trabajar con piezas de Lego en blanco y negro porque sus clientes
pueden combinarlo con cualquier cosa.

Armado con el taladro de un joyero, oye manipula el material, pero trata de mantener su
forma original. Algunas de sus piezas se pueden "hace clic" juntas, y los clientes le han
dicho que sus hijos han tratado de tomar la joyera de Lego aparte.

Craft2Wear, presentado por el Comit de Mujeres del Smithsonian, se lleva a cabo 25 de

octubre y 26 de 2014 en el National Building Museum. Los boletos estn disponibles aqu.