My path as a metalsmith and jewelry designer has been a lifelong pursuit. Starting in my early teens I became captivated by both historical and contemporary works in metal. The detail, precision and focus are both challenging and rewarding. In my work I draw inspiration from ancient alphanumeric systems, contemporary architecture, and my own personal cultural history. I am intrigued with balance and proportion, and feel as if each piece must find its axis on the wearer. The work is designed to be elegant, with minimal and bold forms. My work is an exploration of form and materials, each equally important. I feel firmly rooted in the historical tradition of my craft. I am committed to the use of materials for their color texture and versatility. Often the material is the inspiration for the piece of jewelry being designed. Coconut shell, dyed and carved, is used to achieve rich color and texture. Forging, fabricating and casting are used to create pieces with dimension and volume.

- Artist Statement by Ayala Naphtali

Ayala Naphtali is a New York City based metalsmith/jewelry maker with a studio in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn. She began making jewelry in her early teens. She studied Gold and Silversmithing at FIT (NY/USA) and SUNY New Paltz (NY/USA) where she received her BFA in 1985. Her work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally in galleries, museums shops and design stores. Her work has been collected privately and is in the permanent collections of Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum (NY/USA), Nordenfjeldske Kunstindustrimuseum (Trondheim/Norway), and The White House Ornament Collection (Washington, DC/USA). She has exhibited in many major national juried art shows including American Craft Exposition, SOFA and Cherry Creek Arts Festival. Her work has been featured in publications including American Craft Magazine, ELLE, The Fashions of The Times, The New York Times, Mademoiselle, Women's Wear Daily, Glamour, New Women Magazine, and New York Post. Ayala has been a juror for The American Craft Council Craft Shows.

EDUCATION

STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK (NEW PALTZ), BFA IN METAL/GOLD/SILVERSMITHING: 1985

WORKSHOPS/TEACHING EXPERIENCE

PRIVATE WORKSHOPS IN BROOKLYN: 2015 - PRESENT

-        - BASIC JEWELRY MAKING, RINGS/BANDS BANGLES, RECYCLE/ RESTORE/REPAIR, PROBLEM SOLVING

THE NEWARK MUSEUM OF ART: 2013

-        - JEWELRY STUDIOS

CANVAS ART STUDIOS: 2011 - 2012

CHILDREN’S WORKSHOP SCHOOL (NY/USA): 2003 - 2006

GREENPOINT MANUFACTURING AND DESIGN CENTER: 2009–2017 

YMHA JEWELRY, 92ND ST., (NY/USA): 1987 - 1998

-        - INSTRUCTOR ALL LEVELS

AWARDS

KRASL ART FAIR, AWARD OF MERIT: 2015

BOSTON MILLS ARTS FESTIVAL, HONORABLE MENTION: 2014

MAIN ST FORT WORTH ARTS FESTIVAL, AWARD OF MERIT: 2010

CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS, AWARD OF DISTINCTION: 2008

FEATURED PUBLICATIONS

AMERICAN CRAFT MAGAZINE MATERIAL CRUSH: 2014 

POUGHKEEPSIE JOURNAL (INSERT SHOW REVIEW): 2014 

JEWISH RICHMOND MAGAZINE: 2013

NEW YORK POST, CAREERS FEATURE: 1992

FASHIONS OF THE TIMES, NEW YORK TIMES: 1991

WORKING WOMAN MAGAZINE COVER: 1990 

MADEMOISELLE (COVER): 1990 

GLAMOUR MAGAZINE: 1990

WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY: 1990 

SELF MAGAZINE (COVER): 1990 

ORNAMENT MAGAZINE, “CELEBRATE COLOR”: 1988

JUROR

MONMOUTH FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS (NJ/USA): 2013

AMERICAN CRAFT COUNCIL: 2005

PERMANENT COLLECTIONS

WHITE HOUSE ORNAMENT COLLECTION (WASHINGTON, DC/USA): 1993

COOPER HEWITT MUSEUM, PERMANENT COLLECTION (NY/USA)

NORDENFJELDSKE KUNSTINDUSTRIMUSEUM (TRONDHEIM/NORWAY): 1985

SELECT EXHIBITIONS & INVITATIONAL

AMERICAN CRAFTS COUNCIL SHOWS (MD, CA & MN/USA): 1989- 2019 

SNAG CONFERENCE BOSTON “THE HOMEWORK PROJECT” LANCONIA GALLERY:  2015

LONG BEACH ISLAND FOUNDATION OF THE ARTS & SCIENCES, HOLIDAY ART SHOW (NJ/USA): 2019

VIRGINIA MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, FEATURED ARTIST TRUNK SHOW: 2017

THE DELAWARE CONTEMPORARY MUSEUM, MUSEUM SHOP (DE/USA): 2014

ATLANTA CONTEMPORARY JEWELRY SHOW (GA/USA): 2009 -2011

CRAFTFORMS 2010, WAYNE ART CENTER (PA/USA): 2010 

NEWARK MUSEUM, “MAKE ME SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL” - 2010 CRAFT ARTS ANNUAL (NJ/USA): 2010

SOFA CHICAGO, PISTACHIOS GALLERY: 2003-2010 

CLOUDNINE FASHION DESIGN EXPO, REPRESENTED BY URBAN DESIGNS (MILAN/ITALY): 2008 2009 

CHERRY CREEK ARTS FESTIVAL (CO/USA): 2008, 2010, 2014, 2018

DECORDOVA MUSEUM, “RENEWABLE MATERIALS” (MA/USA): 2005

CRAFTS AT THE CASTLE (MA/USA): 2005

SOFA CHICAGO, FINER THINGS GALLERY: 2001-2003

XOXO GALLERY (MD/USA): 2000 

MARTINA AND COMPANY (RI/USA): 2000 

KAYLO CONTEMPORARY ART (GLASGOW/SCOTLAND): 1999 

AARON FABER GALLEY, “PORTFOLIO SHOW” (NY/USA): 1998 

MIND’S EYE GALLERY (AZ/USA): 1998

SCULPTURE TO WEAR (CA/USA): 1997 

JEWELERS WERK GALERI (WASHINGTON, DC/USA): 1997 

GAYLE SEVERN GALLERY (ID/USA): 1997

FACERE JEWELRY ART GALLERY, “CELEBRATE COLOR” (WA/USA): 1999 

WASHINGTON CRAFT SHOW (WASHINGTON, DC/USA): 1994

SELECT GALLERIES, SHOPS AND MUSEUMS STORES

DE YOUNG MUSEUM SHOP (CA/USA) 

W GALLERY (OH/USA)

HIGH MUSEUM SHOP (GA/USA) 

PISTACHIOS GALLERY (IL/USA) 

CALEB MEYER JEWELRY (PA/USA) 

CONCEPTS OF ART (MA/USA)

LAURIE DONOVAN (MA/USA)

MOTTO/MDF (MA/USA)

ARTFUL HOME (ONLINE)

BARNEYS’ NEW YORK (NY/USA)

AYESHA STUDIO (NJ/USA) 

CRAFT ALLIANCE CENTER (MO/USA) 

NERMAN MUSEUM (KS/USA) 

MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART CHICAGO, MUSEUM STORE (IL/USA) 

KEMPER MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART (MO/USA)

SOCIETY OF ARTS AND CRAFT GALLERIES (MA/USA) 

HOUSTON CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY CRAFT (TX/USA) 

BELLEVUE ART MUSEUM SHOP (WA/USA) 

WALKER ART CENTER (MN/USA)

AMERICAN FOLK ART MUSEUM (NY/USA)

SHAW GALLERY (ME/USA)

HOUSTON CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY CRAFT (TX/USA) 

DECORDOVA MUSEUM, “RENEWABLE MATERIALS” (MA/USA) 

BELLEVUE ART MUSEUM SHOP (WA/USA) 

SAN FRANCISCO MUSEUM OF MODERN ART (CA/USA) 

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WOMEN IN THE ARTS (DC/USA)

YALE ART GALLERY (CT/USA)

SHAW GALLERY (ME/USA)

AARON FABER GALLERY (NY/USA) 

QUADRUM GALLERY (MA/USA) 

FACERE JEWELRY ART GALLERY (WA/USA)

ORGANIZATIONS AND GUILDS 

SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICAN GOLDSMITHS 

PENNSYLVANIA GUILD OF CRAFTSMEN 

NY HANDMADE COLLECTIVE 

MADE IN NYC 

JURIED ARTS FESTIVALS/EXHIBITOR

AMERICAN CRAFT COUNCIL (MD/USA) 

AMERICAN CRAFT COUNCIL (GA/USA)

AMERICAN CRAFT COUNCIL (MN/USA) 

AMERICAN CRAFT COUNCIL (MA/USA) 

AMERICAN CRAFT COUNCIL (CA/UUSA) 

AMERICAN CRAFT COUNCIL (FL/USA) 

ATLANTA CONTEMPORARY JEWELRY SHOW (GA/USA) 

PARADISE CITY ARTS FESTIVAL (MA/USA)  

PARADISE CITY ARTS FESTIVAL (MO/USA) 

SUN VALLEY ARTS FESTIVAL (ID/USA) 

KRASL ARTS FESTIVAL (MI/USA) 

NEW ORLEANS JAZZFEST CONTEMPORARY CRAFTS (LA/USA)

RITTENHOUSE FINE CRAFT FAIR (PA/USA)

MEDIA

THE 10! SHOW (PA/USA) 

JEWELRY ASSISTANTSHIPS AND BENCHWORK 

REINSTEIN AND ROSS (NY/USA): 1988 

TAKASHI WADA (NY/USA): 1983 -1986

PRODUCTS READY TO SHIP IN: 3-5 business days

REFUNDS & EXCHANGE POLICY: EXCHANGE ONLY

Product may be exchanged if we are notified by email (info@gallerylala.com) of your wish and reason to do so within 3 days of you receiving it and we (or the vendor) receives the product back within 7 days, from you receiving it. Product being returned will only be exchanged if it is shipped back to us or the vendor, as per our instructions, in the same condition (product isn’t used or damaged) and packaging that it was shipped out in. Customer is responsible for return shipping fee as well as shipping fee to receive replacement product.