Fleisher From a Distance: Jewelry – Wax Fabrication Demonstration

Explore the rich process of wax fabrication for jewelry and wearable art with Fleisher teaching artist Hratch Babikian. Hratch will discuss techniques, tools, and the process of carving a wax model for jewelry design and how these creations come to life and are polished post-fabrication.

Gold and silversmith Hratch Babikian’s work is about the fascination and relationship of the natural world and humankind coexisting. Known for his high-precision textures and quality fabrication reminiscent of the hand-wrought era of jewelry and silverware, using gold, silver and different gem materials Babikian’s subjects range from oceanic urchins to collections of fossils, microscopic flora and fauna.

Babikian was born in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1961 and received his BFA in 1983 studying metals with Richard Reinhardt, Sharon Church, and Leon Luggasy at the Philadelphia College of Art at University of the Arts. There he received the acute attention to form follows function and decorative forming/forging associated with Reinhardt’s, Church’s and Luggasy’s silverware and sculptural jewelry. His work can be found in myriad private and public collections both in the U.S. and abroad, and has been represented and exhibited in numerous expos, galleries, and museums, including Velvet da Vinci, Silver Blue and Gold, Yaw, MetalBendars, Sheila Nussbaum Gallery, Ruby’s Fine Jewelry, Aaron Faber Gallery, The Swan, The Works, Sculpture to Wear, the National Ornamental Metal Museum, The Ward Museum, and Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus. He Lives and works in Philadelphia.

This demonstration is open to the public with a suggested donation of $10 but is limited to maximum number of 100 participants. Advanced registration is required. The tour will be hosted through Zoom, which can be accessed on desktop and laptop computers, as well as mobile devices. We highly recommend downloading the Zoom app to your device in advance. You will receive a URL to join the demonstration after you complete the registration process.