About The Artist

Since receiving her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1985 Didi has immersed herself in her career as an artist and jeweler , choosing to make her living solely from her work. It has been a challenging yet personally gratifying journey. It is not over. "As times change , and life circumstances change we must constantly adapt. It has taken determination , great focus , and a lot of faith."

Didi has exhibited and sold her work in galleries and shops both nationally and internationally. She has received several awards including the DeBeers Diamond Design Award, and fellowships in Craft from The National Endowment for the Arts and the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts. In 2000 , she was awarded the RISCA Fellowship in Design and again in 2004. She has been published in various books and magazines on American jewelers , metalsmithing , and design. She has also been featured in numerous fashion publications including Vogue , Harper's Bazaar and the New York Times' "Fashion of the Times".

Didi and her husband , fellow RISD graduate and sculptor , Peter Diepenbrock opened their first gallery in 1999 , Suydam + Diepenbrock , in Newport, Rhode Island. They featured their work , as well as several other artists' collections of contemporary jewelry and fine art. Today , Didi runs the gallery , now Didi Suydam Contemporary , in Jamestown , Rhode Island, where they live with their two daughters , Nina and Caia. Nina studies at Brown University and Caia is an artist as well , having just graduated from Bard College in Studio Arts. She now assists in managing the family business.

Please visit www.didisuydam.com to view more of Didi's jewelry and her photographic imagery.