Born in 1989 in Quincy, IL, Zachery Lechtenberg is an artist whose work revolves around his practice of illustration. Zachery attended Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, IL for his bachelor’s degree and East Carolina University in Greenville, NC for his master’s degree. With guidance from instructors and peers he developed ways to transfer his imagery to objects.

His work is often jewelry that incorporates the use of vitreous enamels. Outside of jewelry, Zachery’s illustrations are applied to other items such as stickers, plates and skateboards, as a way to introduce different types of collectors to his work. As an avid collector of toys and other goods, his goal is to explore both how and why he chooses the things he collects. By looking at the reasons he chooses to collect, Zachery creates different ways for the audience to interact with his work.

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Zachery uses a decorative technique known as enameling to add vibrant colors to his playful jewelry. Enameling is an ancient technique in which powdered glass, or vitreous enamel, is applied to a metal surface and fired in a kiln. The result is a durable, glossy and colorful surface. Beginning around the 5th century B.C.E., enameling spread from early civilizations to cultures across the globe. It maintained its popularity as a more economical method of adornment than the application of precious jewels. Enamelists in the Middle Ages, largely in France, perfected many enameling techniques still used today.

Zachery’s jewelry is decorated using a technique known as champlevé enameling. In this technique, a design is cut or etched into a metal plate, with the raised lines forming the outline. Vitreous enamels are used to fill the depressions created by the design. Once the object is fired in a kiln, the surface is polished to create a smooth, flat finish. In this exhibit, Zachery has presented his enameled jewelry inside hand-illustrated, plastic sealed packaging. The collectors of these items must decide what kind of collector they are. Keeping collectibles, like toys, sealed in their packaging maintains their value. The collectors of Zachery’s jewelry must decide if they want to keep the object sealed inside its packaging or open it, destroying the illustration in the process, so the jewelry can be worn.