Glance at Daniel DiCaprio’s work and you almost expect it to ooze, to squirm, to pulsate. As Gail M. Brown puts it, he “explores wood for its sensual potential.” Or, as Stefano Catalani calls it: “Sleekness meets repulsion: a sign of the times.”

How he describes his work: “The forms I work with stem from plant and animal anatomy, often combining different aspects of each. I consider my sculpture to be organisms at the beginning of their evolutionary path.”

Where he got his training: “I had four wonderful professors at East Carolina University in jewelry and metalsmithing. I also spent a lot of time in the woodshop. I didn’t put the two together until I was at Penland assisting Bob Ebendorf and Judith Hoyt. Susan Chin was teaching downstairs, and I was constantly going to see what they were carving in ebony and cow bone. My technical training has come from working at Hoover and Strong. I’ve been there for four years learning gold and platinum smithing.”

His biggest challenge: “Creating an aesthetically pleasing piece while maintaining its function. I anxiously wait for my wife to try on a piece for the first time; until then I’m not completely sure how successful it will be.”

Read the rest of the profiles of jewelry artists in this issue.