Michal Schwab
they/them
Milwaukee, WI, USA
Michal Schwab is a Milwaukee based artist focusing on incorporating illustration into metal objects. They received their BFA in jewelry and metalsmithing from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee in 2024. Michal has worked as a studio technician and assistant for two years and has worked closely with their university’s metals student org to organize events, sales and artist talks. Their passion for craft has led them to assisting professionally at the Penland school of Craft in North Carolina. They currently work as a bench jeweler at Kessler’s Diamonds and have exhibited work in Wisconsin, California and Maryland.
“My work consists of a long going exploration of color on metal. I use different materials and methods to practice technique and craftsmanship, create wearable jewelry and objects, and tell stories through illustration. Wearability is a priority to any jewelry I make because I am dedicated to understanding what gives a piece true quality and what makes it fall under the category of novice or fast fashion and where these concepts blur. ”
"Partners", Copper, Prismacolor, embroidery thread, 6" x 4" x 1.5", 2024How does your work relate to the theme connection?
“This piece is a connection both physically, as well as emotionally to my partner. When it is just the two of us, we are able to play with gender roles in whatever way we feel comfortable with. Something we both like to identify with for fun is the role of a handsome and masculine cowboy. We twist the role which is a traditional old American icon into something for ourselves and embody whatever we want 'him' to be. It's just as much fantasy as the Hollywood depictions of cowboys, only we are able to reclaim the imagery to become queer. Each brooch can be worn together or separate. Alone they may appear slightly suggestive, as one cowboy holds a rope and the other goes pant-less, but together the eroticism is apparent as they hold each other in submissive and dominant positioning."
NYCJW24 @ UrbanGlass, Francely Flores
What role does connection play in your creative process?
“Connection is inherently important to jewelry. The connection of the piece to the body is what allows it to be wearable at all. If the connective pinback or link or earwire is nonfunctional, it changes the meaning of the object. I follow a rule that my jewelry should be able to be worn, to reflect the ideas and identity of the wearer. Because of this, I need to factor in function for the connections of metal to cloth to work at all. This pushes a technical thought process into the creativity or art making. If I make a flat illustration on paper I don't have to worry about comfort or practicality. If I transfer the image to 3D, I have to figure out what the weight of the material will do to the utility of the piece. This angle of technique and overcoming these types of challenges inform my creativity in a feedback loop of free inspiration and reality."
What connection(s) does your queerness make to the world around you?
"My queerness is what connects me to the world. Almost all of my friends are queer. The connection between us is important because we are able to recognize pieces of ourselves in each other. While queer experience is by no means universal, it is easy to pick up on the experiences we may have shared before even meeting. For example, the difficulty of coming out, or the joy in acceptance. My queerness connects me to the world because it shows me a place I belong, a place I can love, and a place I can make sense of things. "
NYCJW24 @ UrbanGlass, Francely Flores
NYCJW24 @ UrbanGlass, Ely Flores
Anything else you would like to share about this work?
This can be an important part of the process, sourcing materials, or research.
“This work is meant to be worn separate despite being one piece. One for myself, and one for my partner. When they are removed from clothing they are able to click together to create the full image."
[queerphoria]v4 @ ECU Symposium
