Robert Thomas Mullen
he/him
Saint Louis, MO, USA
Robert Thomas Mullen is a contemporary jeweler and educator. Currently, Robert teaches at Craft Alliance and additionally maintains a studio in St. Louis, MO. His work is represented by Penland Gallery, Craft Alliance, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Union Studio, Lux Center for the Arts, In Tandem Gallery, and several others.
Throughout his career, Robert’s work has been featured in publications such as New Brooches, On Body and Soul, Behind the Brooch, and Showcase 500 Rings and exhibited both nationally and internationally. After receiving his BFA from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Robert continued his studies by completing an MFA from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.
“I delight in those rare parts of the natural world so often unseen. My work is a celebration of nature itself, drawing breath and inspiration from both new and old, remembered and forgotten. The materials have been collected and curated over the span of a lifetime spent waiting for the perfect piece.
As I grow older and the world becomes increasingly more complicated, I look to create beautiful and simple forms. In a world of sensory overload and social media, I encourage myself to always give a quiet moment to sit and reflect. A moment to focus on the overlooked.”
How does your work relate to the theme transformation— How does the work translate joy into strength?
“I have always tried to organize the chaos in my life. This piece emerged from a loose pile of stones on my bench. The subtle pink tones allude to the feminine, while the darkness of the metal relates to the masculine. I spend much of my studio practice sitting with my materials and piecing them together. This brooch quite literally transforms this disorder through subtle bonds between the stone settings. The connections between them make the piece stronger. I feel that this is a representation of our community. Strength, happiness, and safety as a group."
"Garland Brooch", Lithium quartz, smoky quartz, lodolite, silver, 4" x 1.5" x 0.5", 2023
Anything else you would like to share about this work? This can be an important part of the process, sourcing materials, or research.
“This piece is fabricated, soldered, stone-set, and oxidized.”
