Tom Ferrero

Tom Ferrero is an artist, designer, metalsmith and teacher living in Connecticut. His sculptural jewelry portray the  fragility of its materials and form, yet contain a timeless sense of permanence. The Fractured Pendant series contains intricately formed shapes that appear to be futuristic spacecraft. The airbourne loft of these pendants are indicated by the metal and steel elements which are as delicate as spun glass, but the pendant itself is then "grounded" with rutilated quartz. The overall pendant shape is fanciful and also evokes references to present-day hot-air balloons and sailing ships, each with its own weight or rudder to direct its path.

In a second ongoing project, The Mars series, Ferrero is inspired by his interests in space exploration and metaphysics. The Dao Niger Vallis Necklace, which is part of the Mars series amd included in Art in Craft Media 2013, is created using silver, copper, coral, onyx, plaster, mineral pigments. Its central creviced feature is tinged with red and recalls the topographical features of the red planet as we know it from satillite maps, video, and photographs from the Curiousity Rover. When describing this project, he noted, "Science and Art are offspring of the same parents – Curiosity and Exploration. By focusing on geologic features that are both visually unique and beautiful as well as important to informing scientists understanding of the Red Planet, I am simultaneously celebrating the discoveries astronomers are making while hoping to invite dialog about these discoveries into the world of visual art." [1]

Tom Ferrero earned his BFA at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, N.Y., where he majored in metal sculpture and jewelry design, studying under professors Leonard Urso, Mark Stanitz, and Juan Carlos Caballero-Perez. In 2008 Ferrero graduated from Indiana University with an MFA. He is also an assistant professor of jewelry and metalsmithing at NSCAD University in Halifax, Canada [2]

For more information about Tom Ferrero and his work, visit www.tomferrerostudio.com/.

[1] Mars Series. Tom Ferrero Studio. 2013. http://www.tomferrerostudio.com/products/marsseries/ (Accessed 01.15.2014)

[2] "Biography." Tom Ferrero Studio. 2013. http://www.tomferrerostudio.com/artist/biography/ (Accessed 09.18.2013)