About the Artist

Richard Messina was born in Italy in 1955.  He has practiced the art of metalsmithing since 1971.  He is self-taught and has served on the Metals Faculty at the Parson’s School of Design in New York City. He resides and works in his studio in Round Top, New York.

About the Work

The guiding principal of “Form Follows Function” has led to innovative HI-TECH earrings and forged pins and collars.  He is committed to making pieces that become the essentials of a jewelry collection and that will stand the test of time. 

He is currently working in the technique of cold forging precious metals, which involves working with a hammer on an anvil and expertly polishing his pieces, generating his clean, strong look.  His philosophy is “less is more”. 

Cold Forging is an ancient technique for shaping metal.  Messina’s forged work represents years of practice shaping metal with a hammer.  Equally difficult to obtain and important to Richard’s work are the mirror surfaces and sharp edges he achieves in removing the hammer marks from the forged surface.