Most people aren’t too crazy about insects and would rather avoid them at all costs – but many artists don’t feel the same way. Some of them see immeasurable beauty in these tiny creatures, including the Black Barc Jewelry founder Mizuki Tsurutaka.
Tsurutaka was just 19 and still a college student when she embarked on this creative journey in 2011. Black Barc allowed her to pay homage to her heritage, and she’s still committed to using traditional Japanese blacksmithing techniques to hand-craft each of her jewelry pieces.
The Los Angeles-based artist created many pretty unique collections since starting Black Barc Jewelry, often inspired by nature. Her “Hebi” collection drew inspiration from snakes, “Hana” line was all about flowers and leaves, but how did she decide to turn to insects?
In an interview with Tortoise General Store, Tsurutaka explained how her “Mushi” collection came about. Nature was always her go-to source of inspiration, and she couldn’t shake off the idea of creating a line inspired by insects.
“The beetle is my favorite insect. I showed [Tortoise owner] Taku-san a necklace with a stone and he said the shape looks like an insect, and his words stayed in my brain for a while. For over a year actually, and it made me want to make one….so I did it,” she explained.
