Leather jewelry

"We are a husband-and-wife duo. In our Albuquerque studio, we combine new techniques with traditional materials to create objects inspired by Native American, classic Western, and New Mexican cultures—objects that breathe new life into American history."

Karole and Grady each have their own relationship to the land and culture, as well as those indefinable qualities that make up New Mexico and the Southwest. If they share anything with the creative work done in this region for thousands of years, it would be the tradition of making beautiful things that convey a sense of the time and place they inhabit.

Karole and Grady's jewelry functions as small objects, most of which are created from laser-cut leather. They also use 3D printing, digitally printed fabric, and other new techniques to intentionally manipulate traditional materials such as leather, wood, metal, and woven fabrics.

Karole's professional background is in architecture and structural engineering. Their studio name, "Oropopo," comes from her birthplace on the coast of Venezuela. Grady, a native of New Mexico, is a writer and literary editor specializing in desert literature and its aesthetics. Together, they refine a narrative that associates site and culture with contemporary technology.