North Carolina native Tara Locklear designs geometric and playful jewelry using broken and discarded skateboards.
Artist: A North Carolina native, Locklear was born and raised in Fayetteville. After high school, she headed to East Carolina University (ECU), but left to go to work. Locklear spent 11 years in the corporate world of event planning and restaurant management before stepping away for stress and health reasons.
She later returned to ECU, where she discovered jewelry making, and earned a BFA in jewelry and metal design in 2012.
Company/studio: Tara Locklear Jewelry Design, based in Knightdale, NC, near Raleigh, started in 2013. The artist works out of her metalsmithing/woodshop studio on the back of her property.
In the beginning: After leaving her corporate job, Locklear discovered a local skate and tattoo shop around the corner from a little rock bar, where she was bartending.
The shop became a pivotal place for connecting with a new supportive group and her hallmark skateboard material.
“I found a new community through the shop, and It became my safe place,” said Locklear. “A place to talk about my past and learn there was a way to get back to where I needed to be within myself and with others.”
“My (jewelry) work became my healing and enabled me to move forward to a happier and more fulfilling place,” she added.
About the same time, Locklear decided to return to college. On a suggestion from a classmate, she signed up for jewelry as an elective. She was introduced to jewelry tools and learned how to saw metal for the first time. The experience brought back childhood memories of her dad’s home workshop, where Locklear spent time.
Her father, a machinist by trade, avid go-cart racer and all-around tinkerer, loved working with this hands. The memories resonated and eventually inspired Locklear on her jewelry journey.
Art & materials: Colorful and graphic jewelry made from upcycled street-worn skateboards mixed with architectural recycled plastic or wood products.
Skateboard sources: Skate shops in Greenville and Raleigh. Also from customers across the country.
What’s popular: Hoop earrings ($90 to $150) and statement earrings ($140 to $300).
Other favorites:
- Statement necklaces ($325 to $1,100).
- Pins and brooches ($50 to $200).
- Cocktail rings ($110 to $160).
Process: Traditional metalsmithing and woodworking techniques.
Favorite tools: Many, including:
- Jeweler’s saw
- Band saw
- Miter jig
Inspirations:
- Her garden.
- Geometry and math.
- Iconic street sneaker design.
- American sculptor Harold Balazs.
- Street artists, including French-based FAFI.
- Yayoi Kusama, Japanese sculptor and installation artist.
- Architects Jean Prouvé (French) and Alvar Aalto (Finnish).
- Female hip-hop icons: Missy Elliot, Queen Latifah and Monie Love.
- Mid-century architecture, furniture design and costume jewelry.
Fun commission: Converting a pair of classic Configuration LG Tall Hoops from pierced earrings to clips.
Recent awards:
- 2022 Finalist for NC Made Awards.
- 2019 Excellence in Jewelry Award Philadelphia Museum Craft Show.
- 2019 Award of Excellence / Artisphere Festival.
What’s next:
- Tephra ICA Arts Festival. Reston, VA. May 17-18.
- Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, The Original. Ann Arbor, MI. July 18-20.
- Solo show at Dransfield Jewelers. Richmond, VA. September.
Where to buy: Taralocklearjewelryshop.com. See website for other galleries, museums and stores that sell her art.
Get social:
- Instagram: @taralocklear
- Facebook: TaraLocklearJewelry
