Sara Kali, Artist

Sara Kali is an artist and jewelry designer based in New York City. I caught up with her at Satellite Art Fair in Williamsburg where her work is displayed on the first floor.

Introduce yourself!

My name is Sara Kali. 

Will you talk a little bit about your process in making these? They’re so creative. What is the inspiration? 

I studied marine biology, and I do jewelry design. Now, I can mix my art with my love for the ocean and biology. This is my inspiration—the ocean, bioluminescence, and phytoplankton. I’m inspired by jellyfish because I think our soul is like a jellyfish, bioluminescent. We can see our spirits, and they look like jellyfish. I love using bioluminescence and glow-in-the-dark colors because I want to see the soul in every person. You need to remember that you are a soul, not just a body dancing on the floor. You are a soul dancing. Believe in your spirit. This is a spiritual concept I have about my product. 

Do you think that wearable art plays into that? The idea that you can take it with you?

Yes. It’s important to have art you can use. Artistic stereotypes now are very prototypical. They’re the same everywhere. If you make something unique, you make a difference. People talk to you, you break the ice, and people notice you. It’s different because when I walk in with my jellyfish, all kinds of people talk to me, they smile at me, and it makes my day better and more beautiful. 

It creates community. 

It creates community! Yes. I think in a big city like New York, you need to be different. When I create my jellyfish, I paint each one uniquely, so every one is unique. In the nightclub, if people are wearing them, I can see thirty jellyfish, and every one is different. People can talk about it, “Oh wow, I like yours because you have different patterns or colors.” Yes, it’s like everyone has a different style, a different spirit, but it’s bioluminescent. We need to remember that. 

Amazing. Thank you so much.