Yes, those are sumo wrestlers! What do they have to do with jewelry and art, you might ask. Of course, it is true that I love everything about Japan. But in reflecting on what I enjoy about sumo wrestling, I realized that is is pretty much the same as what I enjoy about art. I appreciate seeing humans striving to perform at their highest levels. I enjoy watching sumo and Olympic sports because people are exhibiting the skills that they have worked long and hard to secure, and they enjoy sharing them with people. Artists are competing in different types of arenas, be it in a gallery, at an art fair, or on Instagram. We are exhibiting our skills and enjoying people coming to see our efforts derived from our hard work. Essentially, human striving and creativity fascinate me in all aspects!

So, what is special about things being handmade by artists instead of by a machine? Sure, a machine can crank out products much faster than a human can. And there’s a time and a place for that. But handmade art is full of humanity that can’t be replicated by a machine. Especially one-of-a-kind art that celebrates the skill, performance, creativity, and time that someone put into the piece. An artist will try to control the outcome of a piece, but, much like in sport, the outcome isn’t known until the final throw. It’s not guaranteed. There’s suspense and tension in great works of art! Many people can start with the same materials, but only a good artist can master their materials and turn out a masterpiece. The process isn’t always a straight line, either. But artists have an ability to surmount obstacles and solve problems to create a beautiful final product.

With this explosion of AI and computers around us, we should ask ourselves what role will humans have in future society. What things should be left to computers. And what parts of human performance would we like to retain. I’d like to think that surrounding ourselves with beauty provided by the serendipity and creativity of the human mind and body should be what we celebrate and enjoy. Things that aren’t made with perfection but that show the skill that made them, that are beautiful and speak to us, that show the effort and performance that went into their creation – these are the things we should listen to and let them fill us up.