Nikki Couppee

Nikki's current collection talks about the different functions jewelry performs in society. Objects of personal adornment have the ability to define a person's social status, question value and serve as a redeemable investment. Nikki is seeking to create opulent jewelry that is reminiscent of royal jewelry, only made in quotidian materials instead of precious gems and materials. Plexiglass, brass and found objects stand in for gemstones, gold and pearls in her asymmetrically designed pieces. With the use of these everyday materials, she is able to create her own versions of gemstones, playing with the size, shape and amount of stones to satisfy her particular feeling when creating the pieces intuitively. Nikki Couppee received her BFA in jewelry/metals from the university of Georgia in Athens, Georgia and a MFA in jewelry/metals from Kent State University, Kent, Ohio. She currently lives in Oakland, California.