Maria Irene Weinz

Born in Bogota, Colombia, Irene has lived in the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, and Papua New Guinea. She has spent most of her life along coastal areas where she taught scuba diving. Sketching and taking photographs created a habit of meticulous observation of the ocean, people and places. Her work is an expression of memories of countless hours spent at the bottom of the sea which divers call 'bottom time.' Irene has been learning the art of silversmithing for a many years, sometimes in very informal places such as the metal souk of old Sanaa, Yemen, or the old city of Bogota. Irene studied and worked at the Corcoran School of Arts and Design until 2015.

Committed to using only recycled and Fairmined materials she is a proud member of Ethical Metalsmiths an NGO that helps jewelers find'materials from responsible sources. 'Her studio is in the Washington DC'metropolitan area.