Eleni Prieston
Artist Statement

My love and passion for painting has been with me throughout my life and is how I began my creative carrer as a Goldsmith. I was turned on to goldsmithing while in college, drawn to the process. The painterly quality I bring to my gold work is the thread of a loose spontaneous style peppered with colored gemstones. Often organic in technique, ELENI PRIESTON and MADE is simultaneously contemporary and ancient, much like Etruscan or Byzantine pieces. A Bespoke Primitivism, sophisticated yet spirited, contemporary yet ageless, is marked by a reliance on hand work. ‘The mark of the hand’ is not something I try to camoflague by a reliance on tools. The machined work we see today does nothing for me.  I create work that is not limited by current styles or fashion trends. Since time is our most valuable assest it adds substance to the work.

I’ve always been more interested in how things were made. The process and the individual behind the work, not solely the value of the material. But gold has that added lasting value! After college I spent a few years in the commercial industry in New York City, got my Certification in Diamonds with the Gemological Institute of America and a few years apprenticing with classical jeweler Luna Felix when gold was closer to $200 an ounce than to $2000! Over time I opened and operated 2 retail stores on the East End, and as I do now, make 90% of the work and do all the repairs by my hand. Our flexible season allowed me to travel often opening a restaurant in Greece. I built my own home in Sag Harbor, had 2 sons later and here I am! One of my sons was literally born at home. The ultimate act of owning your creation! All those passions make up the tapestry that feeds me creatively.