Weekly Featured Artist--Koya

Let's give one more round of applause for Jodi of JazzJodi Vintage!  Thanks for being such a wonderful featured seller and friend as well as for being my guinea pig for my first weekly feature.  :)

Isn't she beautiful!?

So moving on to this week's feature...Reine of Koya! 

Reine is an up-and-coming bead embroidery and jewelry artist from France whose work I happen to love very much.  Her style is very classic yet unique.  And she has a lovely variety of large collars to small (and not so small!) earrings.  Probably my favorite piece of hers is her "Collier LE TEMPS" (below) which showcases an asymmetrical steampunk style.  But honestly I find it hard to choose just one favorite! 

Reine has a website, Bijoux Koya, which as of the moment is only in French, but it is still worth the visit if you are like me and only speak English.  Her photos are beautiful and the website is very easy to navigate.  Plus she has photos of her work in progress which cannot be found on her Facebook page.

Collier Le Temps

Reine was generous enough to answer a few interview questions, so I will let her tell you more below!

Me--What drew you to try bead embroidery, and how long have you been doing it?

Koya-- I've always been attracted by the beadwork. Very young, I was doing small beaded necklaces and bracelets. Then I worked with Swarovski beads.

6 years ago, I was at a supplier to buy beads. There was a workshop [with] Miyuki beads to do a small bead embroidered bracelet. I decided to register me for this workshop and to train me to bead embroidery. My passion began at that time !!

Me--How did you learn? Are you self taught or did you take classes?

Koya-- I'm almost self-taught, I just did a workshop. The model was small (a lapis lazuli embroidered) and I immediately wanted to do more sophisticated models.

Me--Do you do any other forms of art?

Koya--I've always had a lot of artistic passions: painting, pottery, decoration, sewing - I make my clothes myself and for my friends! - and elaborate cuisine!

Currently I also make "vintage" painting and some decoration on furniture. I have an ongoing need to transform materials, such as glass and porcelain painting.

Me--Do you sell your work? If so, where do you have the most success?

Koya--Until now I mostly sold my work mainly to friends or relations!!

I just created last month a website www.koya.fr (not yet in English!), a new FB page www.facebook.com/ReineKoya , and opened a web shop on "A Little Market", which is the equivalent of Etsy in France: www.alittlemarket.com/boutique/koya-491203.html

Me--I noticed you are from France. Are there many other jewelry artists doing bead embroidery there?

Koya--Yes there are many artists in France who are doing beautiful things in bead embroidery, but creation is less developed and more recent than in the United States and Canada, and I think the style is more classic.

Me--Who and what are your biggest inspirations?

Koya--Following the course I took, I did some research and I discovered American artists such as Sherry Serafini, Betty Stephan, Jamie Cloud, Heidi Kummli and more recently you, that match the style I like (mainly ethnic).

This style is also why I chose an Indian name for my creations. Koya is the translation of my name "Reine" in Quechua Indian…


Me--Do you have any tips for us? This can be about bead embroidery, business, whatever!

Koya--You're rather precursor artists in this art, so it's difficult for me to give you advice!

About business and marketing, I also created a twitter account www.twitter.com/BijouxKoya

I think it's a good way to make ourselves known in specialized fashion circles.

Me--Tell us a little about you!

Koya--I am 56 years old, I quit my job as a beautician and I now devote to all of my passions. I would like to share my passion for bead embroidery, creating a training workshop.

I am living in couple in the southwest of France, which is a beautiful touristic region, in a renovated farm, where we created a bed & breakfast.

We would be very pleased to welcome you in our “Puits d’Amour” (name of our B&B! [Bed and Breakfast])

Looking forward to continue to share with you and your friends !

                                                                Reine

Tulum

Photo from Reine's Bed and Breakfast

It is truly my hope that Reine finds success as she is such a humble, lovely person.  And I plan on visiting her at her Bed and Breakfast, Puits d'Amour, if I ever make it to France!


Thanks and good luck, Reine!


Please remember all photos are copyrighted and should not be used without the artist's permission!