In Dialogue: Lauren Fensterstock and Claire Oliver at NYC Jewelry Week 2024

Using her devout meditation practice as a site of departure for the series, Fensterstock considered how the ritual of making a mandala—a sacred visual symbol of the universe—could be translated into the act of ornamenting a mosaic. Exacting and elaborate, these artworks are reliquaries of cosmic vibration that invite her audience to take a moment of pause—encouraging us to observe our particular place in an interconnected whole.

Lauren Fensterstock is an artist living and working in Portland, Maine. Fensterstock received her BFA from Parsons School of Design in 1997 and her MFA from SUNY New Paltz in 2000. She has had recent solo exhibitions at the Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA; Claire Oliver Gallery, New York, NY; John Michael Kohler Art Center, Sheboygan, WI; The Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL; among others. Her work is included in the public collections of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Jacksonville, FL; Portland Museum of Art, Portland, ME; Wichita Art Museum, Wichita, KS; Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA; Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis, MN; Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland, ME; Des Moines Art Center, Des Moines, IA; Museum of Glass, Tacoma, WA; Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Bushwick, ME; Wheaton College, Norton, MA; Tiffany & Co, New York, NY;; among others. Fensterstock is a 2016 United States Artist Fellow.

Claire Oliver Gallery is located in Central Harlem in a four-story brownstone. For 32 years, Claire Oliver Gallery has showcased and celebrated important artwork, with a focus on work by underrepresented communities, which transcends and challenges the traditional art historical canon. Our forward-thinking program and exclusive commitment to the primary market allows for an intensive focus that has nurtured and grown the careers of our artists.

Each November, NYC Jewelry Week proudly presents ‘The Week,’ a 7-day celebration dedicated to the art of jewelry. This annual event invites a global audience to explore the world of jewelry through a dynamic mix of in-person and virtual experiences, spanning New York City and beyond.

Host or Publisher NYC Jewelry Week