My jewelry is in tribute to holistic life cycles, intra-nature relationships, and nature-human connectivity.

Through adornment I strive to highlight the incredibly high value of nature. Jewelry has provided me with a platform to interpret a survey of plant and animal life mixed with gems and minerals in a way that creates a direct and intimate connection with its viewers and wearers. As an artist my intention is to create soulful pieces that present nature in an unfamiliar context that will perhaps trigger people to make more conscious efforts to protect the environment. There is intense beauty all around us, I hope we, as a culture, can learn to see it and form a mutualistic relationship within it and as well as between ourselves.


“The atmosphere, the earth, the water, the water cycle – those things are good gifts. The ecosystems, the ecosphere, those are good gifts. We have to regard them as gifts because we couldn’t make them. We have to regard them as good gifts because we couldn’t live without them.”- Wendell Berry
 
Anna Johnson is a studio jeweler based in Asheville, North Carolina. Johnson received her BFA in Metalsmithing and Jewelry Design from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. Her work is exhibited nationally and has received recognition such as being named as "30 Exceptional Craftspeople Under the Age of 30" (2016) by American Craft week, and by American Craft magazine as one of 15 exceptional artists using unusual materials (2015). Her work has been published in numerous publications, including  "Cast: Art and Objects" (2017)  and she has taught at Penland School of Crafts (2017).  Her compositions consist largely of found objects mixed with semi-precious and precious materials. Johnson's work is heavily influenced by nature, cultural ideas of value, and environmental preservation.

About the bones : Each piece of remains present in my work was found deceased in its natural environment and then taken through a deep cleaning process so i can honor them through my work. Ethically sourcing bones is an incredibly important part of my practice and purchasing anything of the sort is never an option.