Kareen Kjelstrom grew up in the rose city of Pasadena, California. Kareen’s mother, originally from Tahiti, added Tahitian flavors to equal parts California native. Kareen was lucky enough to spend many summers in Tahiti. It is no wonder that her work reflects the rich colors of west coast sunsets and the deep blues and greens of a Tahitian paradise.
Kareen now lives in Paris, France. At home in one of the most inspiring cities in the world, Kareen has continued to capture her life within the subtlety of her beads, jewelry, and glass art.
After attending university and working for a few years in the creative and artsy city of Seattle (where she discovered glass bead making), Kareen lived off her savings for six months to experience life in Paris. Kareen was drawn to Paris from the moment she stepped onto its cobbled streets. With empty pockets she returned to Los Angeles to get a job and to continue with her glass and metal creations. She worked with The Walt Disney Company in Human Resources and ran home everyday to make jewelry in her free time.
After a little while those cobbled streets started calling again and Kareen found herself looking more and more to the east. She had spent her free time perfecting her intricate craft and was featured on HGTV’s Crafters Coast to Coast. With newfound success she could no longer resist the call of Paris and set off again, this time to stay.
Having always had a love for the arts; painting, sculpture, textiles, and photography; Europe provides a bounty of inspiration. As Kareen travels, she captures moments on film that inspire her…..colors, light, feeling. These images are translated into the soft curve of styled jewelry each reminiscent of those not too distant lands. You’ll discover pieces that echo of Tahiti, the Caribbean, Rome, Barcelona, Venice, Budapest, Amsterdam, London or California.
Now living and working on her designs full time in Paris, Kareen continues to fold her vision into the art that she creates. Stunning jewelry pieces that are elegant, sexy, and colorful. Each piece handcrafted in every way by Kareen Kjelstrom. If Kareen seems passionate about her work, that’s because she is.
To learn more about how Kareen began this adventure in jewelry design in her own words click here.
