Bellevue Arts Museum: Mary Lee Hu

Knitted, Knotted, Twisted & Twined: The Jewelry of Mary Lee Hu

February 7 - June 17, 2012

"You've heard it said, "All that glitters is not gold." Well, in this exquisite exhibition at Bellevue Arts Museum, the glitter certainly is gold. Gold and silver jewelry worked so dramatically and precisely that the sparkle astounds, delights and amazes." -- Nancy Worssam, The Seattle Times

Over the past 40 years, Mary Lee Hu has affirmed her distinctive voice in the world of jewelry with her elegant, voluptuous creations. Using wire the way hand weavers use thread, Hu has blazed a trail as both artist and innovator, exploring the nexus between metalsmithing and textile techniques. Keen to metal's ability to bend and manipulate light within a textured surface, Hu's work is a testament to her sophisticated eye for weightless and rhythmic lines, translated into body adornment. Featuring more than 90 exquisite earrings, rings, brooches and neckpieces drawn from public and private collections internationally, this retrospective traces Hu's evolution from her experimental designs of the 1960s to today's creations full of light and movement.

Exhibition catalogue available in the Museum Store >

Student Resource >

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Mary Lee Hu
Choker #87, 2002
18K and 22K gold
6 3/4 x 8 3/4 x 1 in.
Collection of Marion W. Fulk

Photo: Doug Yaple

Mary Lee Hu exhibition at Bellevue Arts Museum
Photo: Jennifer Richard Photography

Organized by Bellevue Arts Museum, curated by Stefano Catalani. Made possible in part by the Windgate Charitable Foundation, the City of Bellevue Arts Program and Alida and Christopher Latham.