BIOGRAPHY
As a student at the University of Minnesota, George Sawyer studied Art History and Sculpture and was fascinated with Asian Art. After finishing his studies, he developed his design and metalworking skills while working at a small company that designed and built some of the most famous racing cars of that era. During the day, he learned about fabricating beautiful machines from the world’s best automotive artisans, while during the evening he studied jewelry design. Combining these skills, he began to develop his signature style of patterned metal jewelry.
George was the first to explore special techniques for creating patterned jewelry metals from colored gold alloys and precious metals. For over four decades, he has folded and forged precious metals into beautiful patterns that suggest images of wood-grain, swirling water or ancient and mysterious impressionistic forms. With his palette of multicolored patterned metals, George creates truly original jewelry ranging from simple wedding rings to complex art objects. He finds great pleasure designing new metal combinations that are an art in their own right, and jewelry that speaks to the heart and inspires the imagination.
George’s jewelry has been featured in museums, galleries and fine jewelry stores in the United States, Canada and Europe. A member of the Society of North American Goldsmiths, the Contemporary Design Group, and twice president of the American Jewelry Design Council, he has received numerous jewelry design awards. George Sawyer Design studio is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
“I didn’t have a conventional education in jewelry design. But I did have the good fortune to be hired by Kar-Kraft, a Ford Motor Company funded firm that designed and built Ford’s most famous racing cars on the 60’s and 70’s.
At Har-Kraft I absorbed invaluable examples of metalworking technique, but more importantly, I learned about turning a concept into a reality, pride of workmanship, and how passionate people can elevate their work into art.
My first years in jewelry were spent designing and building one-of-a-kind pieces for individuals, but my personal interest was in Japanese art metalwork, especially the art of the sword. 35 years ago ancient Japanese sword making techniques were unknown in the UNited States. It was then that I began to develop my own techniques to produce my signature patterned metalwork”.
ARTWORK
