When renowned Northwest jeweler Ron Ho passed away in 2017, he left a treasure trove of his own writings, letters, images, paintings, and objects. Ron Ho: A Jeweler’s Tale collects many of these items, offering a glimpse into what made Ho a treasured artist, educator, friend, and creator of some of the most highly sought after contemporary jewelry in the Northwest and beyond.

Building off of Ho’s 2006 retrospective at BAM and the recent Northwest Designer Craftsmen Living Treasures film Ron Ho: Becoming Chinese, A Jeweler’s Tale, the exhibition highlights the artist’s creative explorations, the deep influence of his heritage, and his masterful ability to tell a story. Selected works from Ho’s decades-long career, as well as artifacts from his personal collection, will be displayed alongside drawings and notes that illuminate his creative process.

In addition to key items from Ho’s life, the exhibition will offer visitors the opportunity to step directly inside the artist’s world. The Museum gallery will include a full reconstruction of Ho’s studio where visitors will be able to see the books that inspired him, his worn tools and jeweler’s bench, the show tunes he listened to while working, and the precious found art objects from around the world waiting to be used in his next piece—all just as he left it.

The exhibition will also include a screening of Ron Ho: Becoming Chinese, A Jeweler’s Tale, allowing visitors to hear Ho tell his own life story as well as commentary from his closest friends and mentors.

Ron Ho: A Jeweler's Tale is co-curated by Benedict Heywood and Nancy Loorem Adams, Vice President and Museum Liaison of Northwest Designer Craftsmen as well as a colleague and dear friend of Ron Ho, along with the support and guidance of Ron Ho’s partner, Peter Olsen. The exhibition is co-presented by Bellevue Arts Museum and Northwest Designer Craftsmen.

• #RonHo
• #AJewelersTale
• • Share this
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Ron Ho (1936 – 2017) was a jeweler and honored art educator living in Seattle, WA. Born to traditional Chinese parents, Ho grew up in Hawaii, surrounded by diverse cultures and their unique artistic expressions. His work was influenced and informed by contrasts of American and Chinese culture and by the cultural diversity he encountered living in the Pacific Northwest. By using found-object pieces and materials enriched by cultural associations, his work reflects his search for a cultural sphere from areas as far as China, Thailand, Nepal, and Afghanistan. Ho was the recipient of several distinguished artist and art educator honors. His jewelry is in the collections of numerous private and public collections, including the LA County Museum, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Tacoma Art Museum, and the King County Arts Commission.