Alexes Bowyer is one of those mythical San Francisco natives we’ve all heard about from 70s rock songs and Jack Kerouac novels, but rarely get to meet in real life. She’s creative, inspiring, immensely talented, has a killer sense of style and, perhaps most surprising of all, she does not work for a tech startup. Though San Francisco used to be a mecca for artists, musicians and hippies, today the majority of San Francisco’s population is made up of transplants predominantly in the tech industry, so when Alexes divulged her local status, it significantly added to her edge. Having watched the transition of San Francisco from artist enclave to techie utopia, this creative soul continues to stay true to her grounded atheistic. A jeweler and metalsmith by trade, Alexes has some vital thoughts on creativity and what it actually means to live an artist’s life.
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Alexes Bowyer, In Her Own Words
Can you describe your first experience working with metal?
“I still have the very first piece of jewelry I made. It all started when my mom asked if I wanted to take a jewelry class with her. I’ve always been an artist, painting, drawing and dabbling in many mediums, but at that point I didn’t have anything in my life I felt truly communicated the creativity I wanted to express. We took the class and the first thing I made was a ring with a bezel set cabochon, I’m very proud of that ring because when you solder something together you inevitably leave a visible seam and the instructor couldn’t find the seam on my ring. I knew from that moment on that this was something I had a grasp on.”
What has committing to a medium meant to you?
“Realizing that there was a medium out there that I felt immediately attached to bolstered my confidence. When you succeed with a material you are more likely to return to it – when you encounter difficulty sometimes it’s hard to go back. I still have all of my first pieces and I use them to chart the evolution of my work. Each piece is signifier of new skills and techniques. I continue wear a lot of my early work. It’s nice to be reminded of the first time I tried this or that technique.”
Can you speak to your relationship with creative struggle?
“Developing a skill is always a struggle. My ideas often expand beyond my skill set, which in a positive light creates an impetus to learn, adding more skills and techniques to my repertoire. I still come up against walls in my work, pushing me to problem solve. Jewelers are actually known for being inventive; we borrow tools from other, very different industries on top of mastering our own specialized tools. I try to approach creative struggle with excitement – I get excited when I do something for the first time and then again when I attain a level of comfort. I often feel inundated with ideas, and realizing I don’t have the time to explore all of them can be frustrating. I think artists struggle a lot with the fact that there are only 24 hours in a day and you need to sleep for least a few of those! Knowing when to push and when to take a break is essential – pushing yourself harder won’t necessarily produce quality work.”
What do you have to say to those trying to “make it” in creative fields?
“Many individuals starting off feel they must take every opportunity that is presented to them. Recently I’ve been understanding that in the long run, success can be measured as much by the opportunities you take as well as the ones you pass up. As a young artist I think it’s important to stay true to my visual philosophy and focus on authentic connections rather than pursue notoriety at any cost. Working in a creative field is exciting with a certain level of torture, and I say that in the lightest and darkest way possible! Being an artist can feel like you against yourself, but I like to think of it as a constant exploration of self. I think the key is finding a way for your work to be in harmony with the rest of your life, because that’s the point right? You get to be making the things you feel need to exist.”
Where do you find inspiration and how do you organize it?
I incorporate varying forms of material inspiration. I always have a sketchbook with me in which I keep all sorts of things – ideas, drawings, to do lists. Funnily enough, most of it is not directly related to jewelry. A lot of people don’t realize that artists take inspiration from work outside their discipline. I frequently reference architecture and furniture in my work, object making fascinates me, most of what I do is about form and proportion. I have started to accumulate a vast amount of books covering museum’s jewelry collections, I don’t mood board per-se but I do cut things out of these books as well as magazines and put a picture or two above my bench. I’m always looking at the world with open eyes and attempting to communicate the meaning I see though my work.”
– As told to Olivia La Roche
Check out Alexe’s website here and follow her on instagram @alexes_bowyer_jewlery
