The beauty and exquisiteness found in the natural world provide the inspiration for Mai Flores' creations. Leaves,
twigs, butterflies, and bees, flowers, raindrops, stars and trees. Her pieces celebrate and reproduce the symmetry and organic forms that nature creates.
Mai is known to pick up a leaf or a flower and become deeply fascinated with its shape, its structure and design, its
colors and many dimensions. She believes that all humans and all forms of life and nature are deeply connected. She finds and appreciates the beauty in the diversity of all natural forms and expresses this in her jewelry.
Designer and author, Mai Sato-Flores grew up in Takasaki, Japan. Mai (pronounced like my) decided to make the
big move to New York City to study jewelry-making and graphic design. Her jewelry courses mainly consisted of
metalsmithing but on her spare time she began to explore with wire-wrapping techniques. Mai loves constructing
jewelry and working with her many tools at her design studio in a former toy factory in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
The quality can be seen in the outstanding attention she gives to the details of her work using intricate and complex
craftsmanship. She uses tiny saw blades to cut out shapes in metal, and carves shapes from wax to create unique
designs. In addition to the superior care in construction, Mai maintains the highest standards when personally
selecting the gemstones and all materials used in her designs.
Mai wants anyone who wears her pieces to feel special. She says that one of the most fulfilling aspects of her work
is when someone tries on a piece of jewelry and she sees them light up with that special glow of confidence and
satisfaction.
Mai is the author of Wrapped In Gems, a book about gemstones, wire-wrapping jewelry techniques and design
inspiration, published by Random House/Potter Craft. She is currently selling her jewelry at trunk shows at
New York City’s renowned Henri Bendel on Fifth Avenue.
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