Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Theresa Kwong. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Theresa, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

After obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from University of California, Berkeley, I practiced and earned my architect’s license in the state of California. It was a very traditional path in a male dominated field, at least in those days. My life was quite stressful, being challenged everyday not just on technical issues. As a double minority, it was a downright uphill battle especially on construction sites, on top of the usual dealings with clients and jurisdictional officials. I looked around and most of my women school friends either left the field, worked in related or unrelated fields. I was underpaid and overworked.

Then one day, I found a full time position as a bench jeweler. I immediately quit my corporate job and made the switch. At first there were so much to learn even though I had been casually taking some jewelry-making classes in the local bead shop. I also had the benefit of taking classes at Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts, which was in the same building as my bench job. My life made a 180 degree turn. Instead of dreaming up design solutions for macro-scaled buildings, I was dreaming up micro-scaled designs for jewelry. It was liberating in that I could use my own 2 hands to create, instead of using the computer to make drawings that someone else got to create in a job site. I can see through the entire process in relatively short amount of time, instead of segments (during field visits) over months.

Today, I continue to work in both careers on my own terms. I feel really blessed.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I make every piece of jewelry myself, and rarely take on custom designs. Most of my work have a sculptural quality, emphasizing on the metal designs and shapes. Each hand fabricated piece stands on its own even if I were to take out the gemstone decorations. I was never a very good interior designer (by intention) and so I’m not all that good with surface decorations. I am open to customizing my designs for my clients though, like sizing. At the various national art fairs I participate in, I enjoy hearing people telling me that they’ve never seen jewelry (designs) like mine. My clients typically appreciate my visions that were translated into wearable statements. That in turn, sets them apart from their friends.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

There’s a Chinese saying that translates loosely to “Every minute on stage takes about 10 years of practice.” A pair of earrings might look simple, but it can take hours to make and even months of learned skills and failed experiments. A lot of my earrings are mirror image of each other, and are all hand crafted slowly and with intention. That’s something a lot of people don’t understand. By the time I solder all the small parts together, that’s only half done. The rest of the steps include cleaning up, finishing, and sometimes polishing. After that, there’s photography, hours of editing photos, and writing descriptions before the item appears on my website. I am a real micro-business, a one-woman show.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

During the pandemic, I was close to being paralyzed by the daily news of death and sufferings. Can I blame that on the general belief that artists are very sensitive to our surroundings? Anyway, I was having serious creative blocks. After a few months of low productivity, I came up with a response from this negative experience – a brooch/pendant I call “A Moment in Time”. You can see it here: A Moment in Time – April 2020

Between my two careers of jewelry-making and architecture, and recently being a temporary election officer during election times, I don’t believe I have a dull moment. LOL!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://tkmetalarts.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tkmetalarts
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tkmetalarts/
• Other: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tkmetalarts/?hl=en | https://www.instagram.com/tk_metalarts/?hl=en

Image Credits
Hap Sakwa