About the Artist
Hiya! My name is Anya Chang-DePuy and THIS is where I started my silversmithing journey. Let me set the scene...it’s 2015 and I’m traveling around Asia solo for 13 months! I find myself in a small town in the foothills of the Himalayas in northern India. (By this point, I’ve fallen in love with goats and picked them up whenever I could- which is EVERYWHERE in India). I stumble upon an opportunity to take a silver smithing class. I take the 4 hour class, create a beautiful ring and immediately sign up for another class the next day. The "studio" is a tiny open space crammed with 3 students all sitting on the floor. My teacher is a kind, patient and silly man, named Golak and I decide to extend my few days in town to a few weeks so that I can take more classes with him. And there, my craft was born…
But that was way, way back, and I took some pretty long hiatuses in the craft. After I left India that first time, I did not create anything until 2 years later when I was back in India, leading a 3-month educational gap semester program. I finally decided to buy the basic tools and supplies I’d need to start creating in between the programs I was leading. (And most of the staple tools I use today are the ones I bought in India!) My time to create was very limited though, and it wasn't until February 2020 that I’ve slowed down, grounded down, and stepped more deeply into the craft. It’s been a joy. Truly. Creating pieces from silver and stone and such an honor. I have much to learn, but I am making many beautiful things along the way, so thank you, thank you for joining me on this journey.
Golak and I on my last day of class with him!