ACCENT ON DESIGN
Thirty Years of
Accent on Design
®
!
In 1984, Accent on Design was launched to create a semi-annual, juried venue for
established and emerging design in the New York market. Now celebrating its 30th
anniversary, Accent on Design has showcased thousands of leading contemporary design
resources over the years, and has welcomed an influx of new design ideas and innovations
at each edition.
Now part of the NY NOW HOME collection,
Accent on Design
will present nearly 150
innovative design brands across all product categories this winter. One of these will be
jewelry designer and artist Elyse Graham from Los Angeles.
The New Face of Accent on Design
Elyse Graham
represents the spirit of today’s designer,
one who incorporates a commitment to volunteerism and
social responsibility into their work. She splits her time
between her sculpture and jewelry work, although the two
do overlap. Her Elephant Heart Supernatural collection,
for example, consists of bold wearable art objects,
including the Globos earrings that stemmed directly from
prototypes for her clusters and geodes sculpture series.
Graham donates proceeds from the jewelry and greeting
cards sold on her Elephant Heart Jewelry site to the 32nd
Street School in Los Angeles. These funds enable the
teachers to buy creative materials and art supplies for 500
students in 16 classrooms.
The Work
Graham’s sculptural collections include her resin-coated
geodes, and a newer collection of vases created through
a similar method, using balloons covered in plaster, with
colorful resin poured inside. “I am intrigued by the idea of
casing an object in a mold formed by an invisible force.
The air that we breathe is what informs the volume of the
vases.”
What’s Next
At the winter market, Graham will introduce a new
collection of “even bolder” home accessories, inspired by
a quote from Los Angeles designer Kerry Joyce: “In this
world of choice, restraint is radical.” Graham finds herself
able to be more creative and make more interesting
objects by working within a framework of restraint and
limitation.
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