KARI WOO

Coming to discover her sensibility for making and designing jewellery was literally by accident. While recovering from a snowboarding injury Kari enrolled in an Introduction to Jewellery night class at a local art college and she’s never looked back. Since receiving her BFA [Honors] at AUArts in Calgary, Kari has been a full-time studio jeweller with an adjacent interdisciplinary art practice.

Well known for a minimalist approach to design, she likes to mix it up on occasion by experimenting with new materials, using found objects and challenging herself and her skills with unusual projects. Her inspirations included patterns in nature, architectural details and a constant wondering about notions of home. These influences can be seen clearly in both her jewellery design and mixed media works. Although the majority of her time is spent on production jewellery and custom designs, her career has also included taking on roles such as instructor, event organizer, business owner and arts advocate. She has had forays into the realms of public art, site specific installation, curatorial projects and public speaking. Throughout her career she has worked collaboratively with art colleagues to create spaces and events that provide opportunities and support to other artists.

She is the sole proprietor of Draw the Line Jewelry (est. 2003), as well as co- founder of the New Craft Coalition, a semi-annual curated Show + Sale (Calgary, 2013-16), INFLUX Jewellery Gallery (Calgary, 2004-11) and the Shiny Fuzzy Muddy Arts Collective (Vancouver, 2003-19). Kari is an experienced and committed craft community organizer and volunteer who advocates for the handmade economy. She believes that connecting and collaborating with others are vitally important activities to building and sustaining creative culture and communities.