MEHNDI JEWELRY
I have been fascinated by Mehndi ( Practiced for centuries throughout India, Africa, and Middle East . Painting the body with preparations made from the crushed Henna plant ) for quite a while since I first saw them on Atlantic Ave in Brooklyn, N.Y. I loved the motifs they use, leaves, flowers, vines mixed with geometric shapes and patterns that really work together and create endless designs. Then I learned the Mehndi has power to protect, to provide spiritual wealth as well as material, to bring luck. It wards off evil eye, guards against black magic and harmful genies.Images of Mehndi remind me an old Japanese story. It is about a man who was protected from ghost by monk who scribed chant all over his body.
I have been trying to incorporate these beautiful images into my jewelry, after much experimentation and practice, I finally figured out a method to express my design ideas freely. It requires a steady flow of hand movement, customized wax
tools and collaboration with skilled casters. We make each one of them in wax without any mold or stamp. They are cast by lost wax process like in ancient times, but we use the help of centrifugal force to fill the delicate details with molten
precious metal. They are all by free hand, there is no same ones exist. Most of them are cast in Sterling or 18k yellow gold. Custom works are available upon the request. We can design them for you or you bring ideas and work together for
someone you love. They have a warms of hand made and special feeling to wear. Something special, something precious.
SCULPTURE
Each of Dai Ban's sculptures hints at an intriguing and mysterious story. The impact of his work derives from its combination of elegant line and emotional intensity, tempered with a subtle playfulness. A man trapped on the face of a clock
challenges us to consider our relationship with time. The curving stem of a bean plant and its empty pod trace the cycle of life and the passing of the seasons. A beautifully textured chess set, made to be played with, is also a statement
about the structures within society.
Born in Japan, Dai Ban studied fine art and sculpture in Tokyo at Musashino Art University. He came to the United States in 1985, and moved from New York City to the Berkshires in 1993.
He has experimented with numerous materials, from stone to steel, and recently returned to working with clay, casting his finished pieces in bronze and gypsum cement. His sculpture, which feels both modern and medieval, has been enriched by
his career designing stage sets and building props and models for television and film. He often makes objects that are meant to be used, such as his paperweights in the shape of crouching crocodiles and his bookends in the form of a luxuriant
reclining female and an angular, darkly suggestive male figure.
SHOWS
| 1984 |
Awajicho Gallery - Tokyo Japan
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| 1985 | A.B.C.NO.RIO - NY. NY |
| NO.SE.NO - NY. NY | |
| Tokyo Art Show - Tokyo Japan | |
| 1986 | Limbo Lounge - NY. NY |
| 1993 | Gallery One Twenty One - NY. NY |
| 1997 |
Santarella Museum - Tyringham MA
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| 1999 | Lenox Gallery of Fine Art - Lenox MA |
| 2000 | Lenox Gallery of Fine Art - Lenox MA |
| 2001 | Lenox Gallery of Fine Art - Lenox MA |
| 2002 | Lenox Gallery of Fine Art - Lenox MA |
| 2003 | Lenox Gallery of Fine Art - Lenox MA |
| 2004 | Lenox Gallery of Fine Art - Lenox MA |
| 2005 | Haddad Lascano Gallery - Great Barrington MA |
| Lenox Gallery of Fine Art - Lenox MA | |
| 2006 | Lascano Gallery - Great Barrington - MA |
| Lenox Gallery of Fine Art - Lenox MA | |
| Lightenstein Center - Pittsfield MA | |
| Stone Over Gallery - Lenox MA | |
COLLECTION
GROVE SCHOOL - Madison CT
MOLLOY COLLEGE - Rockville Center NY