Let me introduce you to Shoshana Farber aka Showsh Designs who makes the loveliest fine jewellery. Her newest collection, Home & Away, is inspired by local maps and is particularly lovely. After both being around the craft show scene for quite awhile I am so glad I finally connected with Showsh last year at the Haliburtion Arts & Crafts festival. She was my show neighbour and we became fast friends because we share the exact same kind of sarcasm. I knew the instant I decided to start this blog that I wanted to interview her because of the great conversations we had about art and making. I hope you find her views on being an artist as refreshing as I do!
What does handmade mean to you?
I define handmade as a product that is crafted using artisanal fabrication processes. That doesn’t mean that it was necessarily made locally, or exclusively by hand, or by a single person. But the maker should be heavily involved with the manufacture of the work, using mostly traditional, manual techniques. Methods can include simple/small machines, but I draw the line at heavy use of digital technology as a primary manufacturing process.
How long have your been working in your chosen medium? Did you attend college or university to learn your craft?
I graduated a 3-year Jewellery Arts program at Kootenay School of the Arts in 2003, and have been making jewellery ever since.
Tell me about your process. What would surprise people about your process? Is there a part of your process that you don't enjoy?
Up until last year I was mainly using fabrication techniques (sawing, forming, soldering, etc.) to make one-of-a-kind or limited-production pieces. I’ve since launched a production line of map jewellery called Home & Away. Many customers assume the line is CNC’d or laser-cut, but the manufacturing process is completely manual. I design and hand saw the metal models for each piece, have a local caster mold and cast multiples, and then do all the finishing/soldering/assembly myself. As a whole I enjoy the process of making this line, as I’ve been able to minimize the toxicity of my practice to a more manageable amount.
What about your chosen medium(s) made you pursue your craft?
I was initially drawn to jewellery because of the mystique of metal-making - I was both intimidated by the torch and intrigued by the challenge of it. To be honest, my main reason for sticking with it is because I’m stubborn-as-fuck. I am neither the most patient nor co-ordinated person in the world, and I really felt like I had something to prove by mastering the art of metalsmithing.
If you could work in any other medium, what would it be?
Paper. I have always had a huge crush on it and handmade paper brings me more intrinsic joy than metal. There are probably some psychological conclusions to draw from that.
What is the most important thing you want people to know about your work?
My new line is more “me” than any other work I’ve ever produced. I’ve always had a sentimental and often conflicting relationship to place, and the way it defines narrative and identity. While I wouldn’t call the collection conceptual, the reaction it invokes is often intensely personal and layered. Making this line is also allowing me to live/work in both urban and rural studios – so it’s satisfying a whole lot of my own “Home and Away” lifestyle goals.
What is your greatest accomplishment, or the thing you are most proud of achieving with your art?
I’ve been juried into some prestigious shows, and pulling them off takes more dedication, long hours, and bodily pain than most people can imagine. Who really understands the emotional and economic investment, the physical toll of studio practice, more than other makers? We are driven by the dim hope that people might like our work and pay us for it. I’m really proud that I get to identify with this incredible community who are brave enough to constantly stand judgement with no guarantee of validation or reward. It’s no small risk, and in my opinion, it’s different than putting forth a service/design/curatorial skill. The tangibility of handmade work elevates it – the fact that only manifests by virtue of your hands and 10,000 hours.
What has been your biggest challenge while pursuing your art?
There are so many challenges. Maintaining my health is up there. I’m starting to really feel the effect of my studio practice on my hands and arms. I have some anxiety about whether I’m going to be able to continue to be a maker in the long-term, or how I’m going to adapt my practice to accommodate these injuries. Psychologically, I’ve managed a mood disorder for most of my life, and have difficulty with confidence and asserting my voice. These are amplified in the age of social-media marketing. Social media can be detrimental to my mental health and I’ve had to implement boundaries in the way I engage with it, but it’s also a useful and necessary platform for my art. It’s been hard to find a way to utilize these tools in an authentic way, and I’m still trying to navigate it.
Has the confusion surrounding the term "handmade" affected your business/practice? What are your thoughts on re-sellers?
Yes, re-sellers are a problem that has become increasingly difficult to identify in the age of globalization, and the ease by which sourcing can now occur with a click. However, I consider digital tech and the democratization of craft as co-contributors to the dilution of “handmade”. In the past 10 years (leading with the jewellery industry) manufacturing has evolved to the point that you can design an item on software, have it 3D printed or laser-cut at a shop down the street, and send it away for machine-finishing on a very small scale. What used to be the commercial manufacturing process – i.e. machine-made – has now been scaled down and made accessible to anyone with a computer. This had led to a saturation of craft in the mainstream where anyone can have an idea and sell it on Etsy. The designer has evolved into an indie-maker-entrepreneur.
There are some really cool things about this. For one, it gives creatives who have very legitimate software and design skills the ability to bring a product to market that is more affordable, and therefore more accessible than your typical artisan-created work. It has always felt funny to me that my higher-end work was always out of reach to people of my own economic means. Art shouldn’t just be for the wealthy.
However, it also really skews the playing field on sales platforms for handmade work. It’s difficult enough explaining to a consumer the value of buying local-vs-offshore, or commercial-vs-handmade, but now how do you explain artisan-made vs. indie-made? Especially when you are selling at the same show and the margins are so different? Also, people who are primarily designers have more time (and skills) to invest in social media marketing, etc. My Luddite bias is showing, but most of the artisans I know who fabricate their work from raw materials got involved in craft because of the tangibility of the process. Pivoting to digital creative content is not something that comes naturally to many of us. But the medium is the message, and if you have an Instagram account with 100,000 followers, with a “pretty” curated profile and giveaways, well, craft jurors are going to want you – and your audience – in their venue.
To be clear, I do think there is a place for indie-made work on maker’s platforms. I use indie-makers for my own business projects, from packaging to display. I also think that digital tech can be used by artists to elevate their craft – for example, to make something that would otherwise not be possible using manual methods (Lily Yung comes to mind). But I have definitely felt the pressure of indie-made work on my own profits and while I’m choosing to adapt to this shifting landscape, I feel sad that many artisans are losing their market positions to this re-branding of craft. You are going to see fewer and fewer traditional artisans selling at handmade venues, and I really mourn that loss.
How do you (and how can we) educate consumers about what handmade actually means?
I’ve started hanging my saw frame in my booth. I’m trying to document my process as much as possible on social media. (Emma’s note: Showsh has started using the hashtag #actuallyhandmade in her posts and I think it’s wonderful) I explain my technique at every opportunity. But ultimately, handmade doesn’t have a definitive quality, and people’s values are not necessarily going to align with my own. I’ve seen some incredible handmade work in my world travels - work that is one hundred percent artisanal and inspiring. Do I think something is better simply because it’s made locally? Not necessarily, but if supply-chain transparency is important to you as a consumer, then buying local is important. The ironic thing is Instagram can facilitate a personal connection between a maker and consumer, but also distort it as well. Do you really understand the process by which that “local” person makes their work, or have they just artfully curated their image? Transparency can actually be a pretty muddy concept.
How has being an artist changed the way you shop?
I’m a firm believer in quality over quantity. I’m not perfect, and my closet isn’t fast-fashion free. But my treasures are all from makers, and it’s even better if I’ve made a personal connection with them.
Who are your favourite makers?
My favourite makers are the ones who have managed to create the impossible – accessible collections (i.e. stuff I can afford) that are unique and created with traditional techniques. Yasmine Louis squeegees all of her screen-printed apparel in different screen combinations so that every piece is completely different. Miranda Britton uses only low-tech methods to make modern, minimalist jewellery inspired by the natural world. Joanne Jones of Mined Recreations combines recycled leathers and fabrics to make high-quality, completely one-of-a-kind bags that are environmentally sustainable. It’s such a hard formula to master, and these artists have nailed it.