Peri Jayne
She/They
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
“Peri Jayne, experiments with metals, leather, and fur to explore how we relate to one another and to the natural world. Her work seeks to capture the delicate connections and shared stories embedded in the materials themselves. They received their BFA in Metalsmithing and Jewelry Design from Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Peri is a 2026 Windgate-Lamar nominee, and a recipient of the Adrian Tinsley Program for Undergraduate Research and Creative Work Summer Grants.”
“I approach the world with sensorial curiosity. Evoking the gentle, warm, and tactile experience into sensual adornments, I honor the next life of responsible luxury expression, with strong emphasis on spirituality, society, and sustainability.
I am the hunter in the wild of secondhand shops and the gatherer of conversations. Through this ritual of repetition, my adornment embraces the visceral politics of animal skins with the innate desire for human connectedness to nature. ”
@perijaynemetals
How does your work relate to the theme of restoration?
“Scouting the materials for my work takes anywhere from days to years. Discovering lost and broken items that beg for more time in the eye of the public. Old tattered fur jackets, scrap fur destined for landfills, damaged leathers, and lost pearls or stones seem to always find their way to me. I restore life to these objects by bestowing a new one upon them.”
"Sisters" Peri Jayne
How does your creative practice allow you to restore (renew, return, reclaim, recover)?
“My creative practice reminds me to breathe, to touch, to smell, and to cherish. All of which restore me physically, mentally, and spiritually. Growing up with large dogs that always sat by my side, the fur I work with now brings me back to the love they offered me then. The sensation of working with something soft returns me to a state of peace and mindfulness.”
As a queer+, artist, what do you see can be, needs to be, or cannot be restored?
“Memories. Memories can become all three depending on the circumstance. We can restore memories through familiar moments and experiences. Some memories need to be restored through more intense measures such as various types of therapies. Other memories cannot be restored, for the good or bad, all that is left may just be a feeling and a whisper of what once was.
As a queer artist I find memories to mean everything. They drive us in directions both positive and negative. We hold the memories of those who came before us, and we conquer painful memories for those who will come after. We rejoice in the memories of the community, keeping them alive in order to keep ourselves alive.”
Photographs Courtesy of the Artist
Anything else you would like to share about this work? This can be an important part of the process, sourcing materials, or research.
“All of the animal hides, furs, and leathers I use are sourced from secondhand locations, most coming from damaged clothing and items.”