Growing up in a home filled with family heirlooms and keepsakes from her grandparents’ world travels, Michelle Kwiecien’s curiosity about the origins and craftsmanship behind those storied objects has never waned. This admiration for craft ingrained early, Michelle attended Alfred University in New York, an institution known for its creative pursuits, where she earned a degree in sculpture and printmaking. Upon graduating, Michelle moved to Philadelphia where her skills in metalwork were sharpened as a fabricator for a high-end furniture and lighting company. Here, immersed in functional design, Michelle developed a true passion for creating objects that blend utility and beauty.  

Today, Michelle’s work is, “ritualistic in method and based heavily in material exploration.” Michelle discovered culinary craft and utensil making during a studio assistantship at the famed Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains under the guidance of Erica Moody, also a talented and long-time Eatingtools artist. Michelle’s current pursuit, and the one we’re honored to present in our collection, Foliage Wares, emphasizes the importances of sharing meals, setting the table, and making everyday rituals special.

Foliage Wares represents a unique and striking body of work featuring a variety of tools, from brass serving spoons to spatulas, created using metalwork and printmaking techniques. With a goal of producing objects that evoke nostalgia and antiquity, Michelle combines delicately forged stainless handles with brass heads embellished with imagery of ferns by way of photo-etching. This Foliage Wares collection combines metalworking processes with techniques Michelle learned from intaglio printmaking, and the results are exquisite. Michelle envisions her work as future heirlooms, carrying stories and inspiration to the next generation.