Biography

Andrea Haffner’s work highlights the infinite small wonders in the natural world. Her resin-encased compositions in her sculptures and jewelry incorporate found materials such as weathered lacy pod skeletons, driftwood, and dissected seeds. Andrea has an abiding interest in small containers, in the ways they can serve as both holders of precious objects and deliberate points of focus. Through the unique contained environments she creates, she invites viewers to enter small worlds that are at once novel and deeply familiar.

Artist Statement

My work is inspired by the myriad of natural forms that exist all around us. I have been a collector of small things all my life, from my early years in New Mexico to the urban landscape of Washington, D.C., to Ojai, California where I currently live. From calla lilies to yucca capsules to Japanese maple samaras, I am always examining the diverse natural worlds around me and enjoy dissecting and reassembling these forms within small sterling silver or larger steel frames. With a background in both photography and glass, light has always been a primary consideration in my work. The medium of resin allows me to work with transparent dyes for the color element in my pieces, creating a glow from within. I have an abiding interest in small containers and the ways they can serve as both holders of precious things and deliberate points of focus. The containers I create, whether in photographic, sculptural, or jewelry form, can be their own small worlds, holding a caught moment, a meditation, or a subtle gesture.