ショーン・ブルージャケット

Shawn Bluejacket (Shawnee) is an award-winning contemporary jeweler whose work stands apart for its expressive forms, bold use of color, and fearless reinvention of Native art traditions. Born in 1962 and of Loyal Shawnee heritage, Bluejacket grew up moving between cultures that profoundly shaped her artistic worldview. Much of her childhood was spent in New Zealand, where the rhythms, patterns, and storytelling of Polynesian communities left a lasting impression. Her father’s later work in Libya exposed her to the visual language of classical antiquities, adding another layer of global influence to her evolving aesthetic.

Bluejacket studied fine arts in California before enrolling in the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe in 1993. Rather than follow the established path of Southwestern silversmithing and turquoise work, she chose to create jewelry rooted in her own lived experiences. Under the guidance of influential artists Duane Maktima and Lane Coulter, she developed a personal style that blended sculptural form, humor, and cultural hybridity.

Her pieces are meticulously fabricated, never cast, from thin sheets of precious metals, often using 30-gauge gold and silver to build lightweight but architecturally complex hollow forms. Bluejacket’s intuitive sense of structure allows her to create jewelry that feels animated, asymmetrical, and full of motion. As a tribute to her geologist father, she seeks out stones that are unusual in color, pattern, or geological origin. Her work frequently incorporates rare materials such as Yowah nut opal, South American druze quartz, fossilized ivory, and vibrant tourmaline.

In recent years, she has expanded her practice to include mokume-gane, the Japanese layered-metal technique prized for its wood-grain surface patterns. The method’s emphasis on transformation and controlled unpredictability aligns naturally with her interest in experimentation and contemporary adornment.

Bluejacket’s jewelry is recognized for its blend of ancient echoes and futuristic energy: pieces that can feel simultaneously ceremonial, playful, and avant-garde. Her work has been exhibited in museums and galleries throughout the United States, and she has received numerous awards for innovation and craftsmanship. Above all, she strives to create pieces that speak directly to the wearer. For Bluejacket, the most meaningful response is when someone instinctively connects with a piece - when they sense its “tribal” character, its whimsy, or simply its voice. That moment of recognition, she believes, is the true purpose of adornment.