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The Artist

I am Zoé, the designer and silversmith behind Zed|Eh Designs - welcome to my online jewelry gallery. Here, you will discover distinctive, handmade, wearable art pieces to help cultivate your unique style and foster self-expression. I encourage you to explore the site, find something that resonates, and allow the art to become part of your story.

My Art

I specialize in one-of-a-kind, handmade statement art pieces, working with precious metals such as sterling silver, fine silver and 18K bi-metal. Occasionally I accentuate my creations with distinctive, hand-cut, semi-precious stones. My style draws inspiration from mid-century contemporary art featuring modern, bold geometric shapes, roughly-textured abstractions and hints of intricacy and sparkle. My creativity is rooted in the complexities and stories of the human experience, our vast emotional spectrum and my quirky inner world. I'm deeply invested in my work, learning and creating in equal measure. This interplay fuels each design. I maintain a low-production environment to nurture exploration, learning and creativity.

My Story

My passion for jewelry ignited in early childhood, when I visited my mother who worked at a costume jewelry store in the 80’s. I was enthralled with the crystals, the shoulder-dusters and the neon plastic iconography. This fascination evolved into frequent visits to local bead shops where I crafted flamboyant, imaginative, sometimes unwearable, jewelry. I recognized the human desire for uniqueness and the subtle power of personal expression that jewelry could provide. I understood that each piece held its own meaning and aesthetic. I often awkwardly wore several pieces at once, to connect with the world as much as to shield myself from it. Adorning myself with jewelry, my personal talismans, became a silent yet distinctive form of artistry and expression for the rest of my life.

A collage of photos, of a young woman, in different stages of youth, engaging in various artful activities. She can be seen in clown make up and masks, showing off a performance poster, in ballet leotards, playing music and wearing several necklaces.

I spent many years searching for a creative outlet that fit. During adolescence, I studied theater at a performing arts high school, and later delved into academia for a degree in Communications, but unfulfilled, I continued to search: I wrote children’s books, made music, edited books, ghostwrote stories, performed poetry and played with textile arts. Yet, as life moved towards necessity, I drifted further away from my creative core until it was mostly a memory. Then, nearly a decade ago a severe health crisis hit that quickly unleashed a mental health crisis, irreversibly changing my world.

A woman with short dirty blonde hair, wearing blue jeans, a black shirt, and a maroon half-length sweatshirt, is forcefully pulling and twisting very thick sterling silver wire. The wire is anchored to a vice on a wooden table, and she is sing both arms and her full body strength for the task. Her safety glasses are pushed up, securing her hair back. In the background, a bustling silversmithing studio is visible

While awaiting diagnosis, life shrank rapidly. Daily functions became impossible, work was out of reach, my mind dulled, and the discomfort consumed my days. Depression was sinking me, and I was losing touch with myself entirely. Encouraged by a loving husband and mother, I was gently urged to rediscover my creativity, to find myself and to reconnect with the world. Instantly, I was 8 years old again, standing in that jewelry store, remembering the first time I experienced “art”, the first time I wanted to make something, the first time my creativity showed itself to me. Finally, I knew where I belonged.

Side profile of woman, using a rawhide mallet, to hammer a curved piece of sterling silver on a large steel bracelet mandrel. The mandrel is propped on a round wooden stump. The woman's hair is tied in a bun, she is wearing safety glasses, and a blue tank top, with a black apron. Various hammers hung on the wall can be seen in the background.

My Learning

In 2013, with my family’s support, I plunged into my first silversmith class at Jewel Envy in Toronto, Canada. I have not looked back. Relocating to San Diego in 2015, I trained for six years under the guidance of master goldsmith Jay Whaley, and eventually working as a teaching assistant at Whaley Studios.

A close-up view captures a woman holding a black Green Lion saw, with the focus centered on the tool. The woman is slightly blurred in the background, wearing safety glasses, with her hair tied back. She has on a blue sweatshirt and displays a cheerful smile

In 2021, I proudly established my independent studio, Zed|Eh Designs, a moniker that playfully nods to my Canadian heritage and my name (pronounced z-oh-eh). Along this creative voyage, I have been incredibly fortunate to connect with esteemed jewelry artist Lesley Aine McKeown, and continue learning and improving under her mentorship.

A close-up of the back of a sterling silver brutalist ring, with a focus on the blackened Zed Eh Designs logo positioned next to the hallmark numbers "925," denoting the silver purity

I am excited to have you here and look forward to sharing stories for many years to come.

- Zoé
“

Here is why I write what I do: We all have futures. We all have pasts. We all have stories. And we all, every single one of us, no matter who we are and no matter what’s been taken from us or what poison we’ve internalized or how hard we’ve had to work to expel it—we all get to dream.” –

- N.K Jemison