Monique Pean

Monique Pean

Monique Pean was raised in Washington D.C. and has traveled the world, visiting more than 30 countries. Monique is thankful that her mother, Gail, solidly encouraged her to pursue her love of art. She credits her inspiration to the art and cultures encountered during her travels to destinations such as Haiti, Bali, Russia, Egypt, Brazil, China, Greece and more. With a Haitian father and American Jewish mother, Monique was no doubt inspired by her own heritage. Before founding her accessories company, Monique worked in finance and took fashion design classes in New York for three years. Monique graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, where she majored in Philosophy, Political Science and Economics. Click here to visit her website

Monique Pean  is an American artist whose practice is focused on fine jewelry, sculpture, painting and furniture. Her studio is based in New York City. Her work explores themes of space, temporality, identity, and origins, and makes use of materials such as fossils, meteorites, and sustainable recycled metals.

A recurring theme in Monique Pean ‘s work is the idea of “deep time”. She uses fossils and meteorites that can be billions of years old, intending to transport the viewer or wearer back in time. Her use of ancient natural materials is meant to “collapse time and space”. Pean has stated that her work “striveto create a balance between organic textures and geometric structure”. Another key theme in her work is inspiration from travel, and reflecting different landscapes, architecture, art and cultural diversity. When acquiring materials for her works,  Pean contacts scientists and researchers in order to gain in-depth information about the fossils and meteorites, as well as ensuring that they are sustainably sourced. The craftsmanship used to produce her work is carried out by artisans around the world and Pean works with indigenous peoples who have generational knowledge of the materials.

Monique Pean appears in

  • The Editor-and-chief of National Geographic Traveler, Keith Bellows, joins World Footprints Radio to talk about the magazine, travel storytelling, his upcoming travel book for children, and his never ending quest for discovering different cultures. Then, because culinary treasures are a manifestation of culture, Shelley Galloway from the newly opened Buddha Bar DC, the newest member of the internationally renowned Buddha bar group, will offer a culinary journey that promises to delight every palate. (Note:  Buddha Bar DC has recently closed.  The food was fantastic as was the ambience.) Finally, Tonya and Ian will introduce a celebrated jewelry designer, Monique Pean, whose socially-conscious and culturally-inspired designs have been featured in the major fashion magazines and have been donned by a who’s who of celebrities including first lady Michelle Obama. Keith Bellows This show is dedicated to our friend, Keith Bellows, a visionary journalist, author, and globetrotter who was editor-in-chief of National [...]