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Maine College of Art & Design
2026 BFA Exhibition
May 1–15, 2026
Info

Jia-An Waterman (佳安)



Artifacts of Memories, a Collection of the Past

Artifacts of memories, a collection of the past. Adopted from China at 10 months old and raised in Groton, Massachusetts. I am a metalsmith and jeweler who addresses the racism and trauma I experienced throughout my childhood. I carve the memories into beautiful plant-inspired adornments to rewrite the pain and reclaim emotional control. Tied together with a red thread, they create a forest that tells my story.


Bio

Jia An Waterman is a metalsmith and photographer based in Portland, Maine. She received her BFA in Metalsmithing & Jewelry in May 2026 from Maine College of Art & Design.

Born in China and adopted at ten months old, Waterman grew up in Groton, Massachusetts. Her work explores cultural history, family relations, and issues related to transcontinental adoption. Working primarily in silver, bronze, nickel, and carved stone, Waterman draws inspiration from traditional Chinese, Korean, and Japanese aesthetics. She creates objects such as hair ornaments, jewelry, and hand-held objects. Her stone carvings reference organic forms with polished, smooth textures. The carvings include themes of self-preservation in memories and the use of talismans to ward off harm. Her fabricated metalwork is often sharper and more geometrical.

In 2025, Waterman participated in the SNAG Metalsmith, Virtual Juried Student Exhibition, juried by Taran Diamond and Masako Onodera. She also interned as a Curator’s Assistant at the ICA at MECA&D for the exhibition Otherwise and was a speaker in the curator conversation on October 30th alongside Darby Miller (MFA ’26) and Cynthia Nathan (MFA ’25).