Chemical Wedding Bio


Chemical Wedding Handbags

Seattle-based artists Jon and Tracy Haaland, the creative minds behind Chemical Wedding, draw from their rich fine art backgrounds to infuse practicality and wearable essence into their creations. Jon honed his artistic skills at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, specializing in printmaking and sculpture. His artistic journey commenced at the Seattle Design Center, where his exposure to luxury interior design led to his experience designing and meticulously hand-painting luxurious custom wall coverings. His creations have graced prestigious spaces like the Bellagio and private homes of luminaries such as Oprah, Cher, and Mick Jagger. The allure of his designs has also captured the pages of distinguished publications like Architectural Digest and Elle Decor. This is where the paths of Jon and Tracy intertwined, as they met during his tenure at the wallpaper studio.

Tracy pursued her artistic education at UNCG, acquiring a BFA in painting and printmaking. Seattle's art scene has witnessed her solo and group exhibitions across various galleries, alongside numerous commissioned paintings. In 2003, a creative collaboration between Jon and Tracy materialized, giving birth to a collection of exclusive handcrafted handbags. These distinctive pieces, which found their spotlight primarily in local galleries and art fairs, incorporated a blend of pristine and repurposed leathers, intricately fashioned copper rings, elaborate silk screen designs, and their distinctively rustic wooden handles, closures, and embellishments. The resultant wearable art pieces have transcended conventional norms, adorning gallery walls and boutiques worldwide, from San Francisco to Hong Kong.

A remarkable facet of their endeavor lies in the bespoke nature of their creations, with Jon and Tracy meticulously crafting each handbag to order. Their profound appreciation for the artistic process itself is evident in their journey. Remarkably, their growth has been purely organic, propelled solely by the resonance of their work through word of mouth, without any formal advertising efforts.

Chemical Wedding, in its name and essence, symbolizes an alchemical transformation akin to turning lead into gold. Jon and Tracy consistently strive to metamorphose the realms of fine art and design into utilitarian elegance, melding form and function seamlessly. The outcome of this fusion is nothing short of a perfect "Chemical Wedding," epitomizing an exquisite blend of artistic finesse and pragmatic purpose.