Kyoko Hashimoto

Established

This neckpiece is made from pieces of sandstone Kyoko Hashimoto collected in Pyrmont, a suburb in Sydney once famous for high quality sandstone. As geologically ancient material (sand which makes up the sandstone originally washed down from area around Broken Hill approximately 85 million years ago), she felt the material commanded deep respect. Each of the spheres are turned on the lathe and wrapped in a kangaroo leather cradle, held in place using a Shinto ‘musubi’ knot that signifies respect for nature.

Kyoko was born in Japan and migrated to Australia when she was 10 years old. After completing a Bachelors degree in jewellery making in Sydney, she moved back overseas and ran her studio in Tokyo, then Eindhoven in the Netherlands, and later in Berlin, the city where she co-founded the concept store We Are All Made of Stuff as a platform to promote up and coming designers of jewellery and objects from around the globe. Kyoko moved back to Australia and in 2014 and took up a position as Production Manager in the Metal Design Studio at JamFactory Craft & Design. She is currently undertaking a research Masters degree at UNSW Art & Design, Sydney.

Image: Kyoko Hashimoto, Sandstone Musubi Neckpiece, 2019. Photo courtesy of the artist.