A chance occurrence led to a meeting with Skye and Pete Ciesla in the Marian Gallery at the Mount Mary Campus while they installed their new exhibition that opens September 19. The husband/wife team usually resides in Bailey's Harbor, Door County, Wisconsin, and has spent the summer working towards this upcoming exhibition “Inspired Designs: Playful and Provocative Adornment.”
Peter formerly designed high fashion clothes and often found the economic and customer climate he encountered too conservative for his dreams. This allowed him to branch out into accessories and fiber design, with or without the beaded embroidery, which will be featured in the upcoming exhibition.
Skye studied for a degree in stone sculpture and then discovered designing accessories with Peter in 2002 under the name Bazyli (ba-zil-e) Studio Designs, the namesake of Peter's father. Elaborately embroidered necklaces, bracelets, earrings and other adornments display the artistic pair's creative talents.
Peter constructs the forms and the underpinnings to each piece while Skye meticulously beads the outer layers using semi-precious stones. Every bead requires hand-stitching involving hours of work (up to 20-25 for one necklace) and then silk is hand-sewn on the back for lining the exquisite jewelry pieces. The accessories are created without any manufactured pieces to complicate the artistic process.
When there's not an exhibition to prepare for, traveling to trunk shows at boutiques and galleries throughout the mainland occupies the Ciesla's spare time. After attending the Mt. Mary Milwaukee opening, they're headed to Los Angeles and Florida this fall with trips to Door County to finish more artwork between all the cross country miles. In these high end merchant markets, every design needs to be fresh, and the Ciesla's began fashioning wide belts with large scale ornamented buckles to wrap around a favorite LBD or neutral coat, jacket and vest for this coming fall season.
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In the Mt. Mary College exhibition, Skye and Peter focus on separate endeavors. Peter highlights a series of designs created from wire forms and fiber that wraps around the neck or shoulders, or even sits upon the head in his contemporary artwork series. Skye displays a related group of elegantly embroidered necklaces referencing crop circle patterns she recently discovered from a vintage find. Using a variety of color palettes, the necklaces' breathtaking qualities refute the humble farmer's field that inspired them. A stunning white dress designed with beaded shoulders against a bodice ending at the hips uses vintage mother of pearl buttons sewn on with metallic thread to accent an ivory tulle skirt, the finished costume showcasing an aesthetic masterpiece.
Skye and Peter exhibit nationally and have an enthralling collection of small accessories, which they hope to feature after the September 19, 2:00-4:00 p.m. reception during a small trunk show on Sunday. Their belts, cuffs, earrings and necklaces fascinate the eye and exquisitely ornament the body. Many exhibition artworks will be available for purchase, or speak to the couple personally in the Marian Gallery at the opening. One will be enchanted by this captivating display throughout the exhibition, each piece of unique jewelry crafted with painstaking integrity that completely lives up to the name playful and provocative adornment.
Mount Mary College also supports the following event planned by one of their Art Instructors, Brad Bernard :
“ONE CITY UNDER A GROOVE IN A STATE OF ART'
COMMUNITY ARTS AND & FUNK FESTIVAL
MARCUS CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS-PECK PAVILION 929 NORTH WATER STREET
Saturday, September 18 enjoy over 35 urban artists and an array of musical performers in an all day event from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Free general admission or $13.50 for reserved seating at the musical performances that may be accessed at www.artsandfunkfestival.com
