RUGA (from Latin, meaning: crease, wrinkle) refers to the manipulation technique I use to create a wrinkled surface with metal woven cloth. Inspired by Shibori, the Japanese textile resist dye methods in which folding and compressing are used to create pattern.

The work intends to be purely expressive, and is largely unplanned, the product of a synergy between thought, hand, intuition and material.  The Ruga technique involves grabbing, gathering, crumpling, crinkling; alternating with pressing and hammering, and then unfolding and repeating the process to create layers of texture, color, transparency and shimmer. At times, I apply heat to create a color patina, which adds even more depth and richness to the surface.

Even at close range, the surface is intriguing and hard to define. It is reminiscent of the cracked surface of dessert soil, or tree bark, or a prehistoric leather skin. At a distance, the pattern may suggest a field of autumn leaves, some blown by the wind, or the knotted tangle of tree roots.

Light plays a major role in appreciating these works. Areas of transparency allow the light to pass through. In some cases, the back surface may reflect or show through, adding interesting layers of depth that are highlighted or recede as the viewer moves around, or as the light source shifts throughout the day.

I utilize this technique to make one-of-a-kind pieces such as AURUM (a neckpiece handcrafted in gold), to limited edition pendants and bracelets, and to create unique and distinctive wall treatments and panels, as in the MURALIS Series, which can be customized for various uses and settings.