Alba Nelly Urbina: The Revival of Alchemy

Oct. 17, 2011 - PRLog -- Form over function  may be the sway of most metal artists, but not all of them. One in particular seems to find her groove best when she is creating art that is as functional as it is sensational. Her name is Alba Urbina.  Her chosen medium is metal. Her talent is, no doubt, other-worldly. I do not exaggerate.

What sets Ms. Urbina apart from the rest is that she isn't just an “artist”; she is an alchemist. For those of you unfamiliar with that term, here's Merriam Webster's definition of alchemy:

1. :a medieval chemical science and speculative philosophy aiming to achieve the transmutation of the base metals into gold; the discovery of the universal cure for disease, and the discovery of a means of indefinitely prolonging life.
2. :a power or process of transforming something common into something special
3. :an inexplicable or mysterious transmuting

As Urbina goes, all of the above.

The first time I got a glimpse of her work, I was both surprised and delighted. Surprised because I'm not a huge fan of jewelry or metal art. Or, I should say, I wasn't. Her pieces were so unusual, so beautifully done, so mystical, that I couldn't pull myself away from her booth. I dawdled for a long while, chatting with her and asking a million questions about how she came to this particular art form and what the work entailed. Truth be told, I was a bit stunned by the fact that someone of her stature (which is on the petite side) could bend and shape pieces of iron and steel into such exquisite pieces.

Add to that her down-to-earth persona and a wicked sense of humor, and I was absolutely smitten with the woman. Her sense of self is so strong as to be inspiring. Her love for what she does makes you want to run out and sign up for a class. Her playful approach to life and art shatters the notion of the “anguished artist”. In short, she is a woman who found her calling and never looked back.

A visit to her sunny studio in Oakland, CA, confirmed my suspicions that Ms. Urbina is, indeed, a rare breed of artist. The tools of her trade many. A knife-maker's forge for heating the large pieces of metal, hammers to the nth degree, a railroad tie she uses for an anvil, various drills for polishing and drilling holes, grinders, torches, cutting tools, all used for her Moxie Metal pieces. From hat stands to coat racks, jewelry holders to candelabras, clothes racks and wall pieces, the breadth of her imagination is beyond description. It is small wonder that her pieces are among the most sought after works in the country.

Then there's the jewelry. Urbina Desgins is what she calls this business. And while one might not consider that an artist working with large pieces of iron and steel could transition to such an extreme, Urbina manages to do it seamlessly. It's as if she takes off one hat, dons another, and voila!; she has gone from metal smith to jeweler extraordinaire in the blink of an eye. What is so impressive is that the detail and utter perfection of her jewelry is the opposite end of the spectrum. Tiny little details that only an artist of her caliber could produce. The words of this writer don't come close to relaying the exquisite beauty of her jewelry. You just have to see it.

I suppose I could go on for weeks about Alba Urbina's talent. But it would be far better for you to see for yourself. To get a glimpse, you can visit her Etsy stores at the following links:

For Moxie Metal: http://www.etsy.com/shop/sparkafarian

For Urbina Designs: http://www.etsy.com/shop/urbinadesigns

# # #

Author/Writer engaged in sharing wisdoms, helping others share theirs, and promoting other extraordinary artists.