Tchin

Jeweler Narragansett Descent Perrineville, NJ
Tchin is a silversmith, musician, folklorist, and painter who is well known for his sterling silver statement jewelry. He utilizes a sophisticated, contemporary aesthetic in his parfleche (pouch) necklaces, feather pendants, cuff bracelets, and other pieces. Tchin’s designs are influenced by the geometric shapes of “grandmother’s art,” or the women artists of the Narragansett and Blackfeet tribes that are his heritage. The meanings behind the pieces come from the same traditional lessons that he performs as a folklorist in the oral tradition.
Tchin has been featured in Vogue magazine and collaborated with Cartier, and he is a six-time first-place winner at SWAIA Indian Market. Tchin was raised in Virginia and Rhode Island, and now lives in New Jersey. He teaches metalsmithing at the School of Visual Arts, in New York City, and has recently played traditional Native flute with the Public Orchestra, "Rehearsing Philadelphia". He’s the author of a children’s book, Rabbit's Wish for Snow: A Native American Legend (1998), and his jewelry designs were featured in Colleen Farwell’s picture book, I Will Carry You (2019). He attended the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and graduated from Rhode Island School of Design.