Luci Jockel

Bio

Luci Jockel maintains a studio practice in Baltimore, MD where she holds the position of Metalsmithing & Jewelry Lecturer and Area Coordinator at Towson University. She received a M.F.A from Rhode Island School of Design in Jewelry and Metalsmithing, 2016 and a B.F.A. from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Jewelry and Ceramics, 2014. She was the recipient of the MSAC Grants for Artists, 2024, SNAG’s Educational Endowment Scholarship, 2021 and American Craft Council Emerging Voices Award in 2019. She has exhibited her work both nationally and internationally at venues such as Galerie Handwerk, R&Company and RISD Museum. Luci has curated exhibitions at Baltimore Jewelry Center, Towson University and as part of JV Collective- a cohort of seven art jewelers. She actively teaches workshops at craft schools, such as Brooklyn Metal Works, Baltimore Jewelry Center and Peters Valley School of Craft. Her work is in the collections of the Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery, RISD Museum, Galerie Marzee and ArtYard.

The animal remains utilized in Luci's work are ethically acquired and are found by herself or donated to her. Her work seeks to give a voice to the deceased beings in the hopes of building an interconnectivity between human and animal.

Artist Statement

I seek reconnection with flora and fauna through wearable and sculptural mementos. These objects, made of unearthed materials, such as animal remains, stone and metal, are meant to honor and grieve our lost connection with our surroundings. Similar to historic mourning ritualistic objects and relics, I explore the agency of remains and wearables to carry memories of past lives and relationships. The tangibility allows us to remain connected to those beyond, preserve their stories and reflect on their lives.  

Can the touch of bee wings on one’s shoulders serve as a reminder of the fragility of life? In my work, the bee is a martyr for our ecosystem- a symbol of the influence we have upon non-human counterparts and how we rely on these beings to keep our environment livable.

 By investigating the quiet intersections between unearthed materials, I attempt to understand the larger web connecting all beings. My work questions the hierarchical systems of value we have created around materials and beings, of which we share a common resting ground. I seek to suture our divide from those nonhuman by revealing that we are but parts of a whole.