Harriete estel berman biography template

Photo: Courtesy of Harriete Estel Berman

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background.

My metalworking skills are extensive, developed through many years of experience and an academic education (BFA and MFA with a major in metalsmithing).

In addition to my artwork, I have done silver repairs on sterling silver and silverplate for over 40 years including antique Judaica.

In 1988, I radically changed my artwork to focus exclusively on using recycled materials removed from the waste stream of our society.

At that time, there was no curb side recycling – “Reduce, reuse, recycle” was not a topic in the news. When I first started working with tin cans, it was embarrassing and dismissed as a lowly medium, but I wanted to incorporate this environmental and social statement into my work.

Yet, it wasn’t until 1997 that I made my first piece of Judaica from recycled tin cans.

What inspired you to become an artist?

From my earlie