Black Beauty Collar #2, 2003 ebony, 18k gold, fox 1 1/2 x 3 x 14" Photo: Robert Diamante

What power do materials have? Why does gold intoxicate us? What is it about a diamond that is so compelling? Why does fur draw us near, begging us to touch it, feel it, wanting to wrap ourselves in it? The series "Black Beauty" seeks to explore notions of materiality. Using materials that are inherently luxurious as well as laden with cultural and historic value, these pieces serve to explore and revel in the experience of the material itself. These pieces play with a certain material's ability to intoxicate and seduce the senses. This body of work seeks to explore the mystery of the materials themselves, using and exploiting their ability to captivate.

Black Beauty: Collar #3, 2003 ebony, 18k gold, fox 5 x 1/2 x 10" Photo: Robert Diamante