About

Hi, I'm Henry Smith. Welcome to Hankmade! I run this little shop as a way to support my artistic practice in Chicago, Illinois. Thank you for taking the time to look at my work! 

I started working with polymer clay casually around 2017, but I became obsessed with the medium a few years later when I was introduced to cane-making techniques. My favorite things to make: beads and pendants, clay-covered glassware, cool jewelry.

Having grown up in the Ozarks, I was lucky to be surrounded by beautiful scenery everywhere, and I still use my upbringing as an inspiration for my work. Now I am surrounded by a cityscape, but there are still plenty of cracks through which flowers grow. And Lake Michigan is always right there when I need to experience the vastness of nature. 

Additionally, these days I am feeling deeply nostalgic for the colorful imagery of my youth in the early 2000s. Hours spent flipping through magazines to make collages, little purple rollerblades, drawings of fairies in a notebook... for me, polymer clay is the perfect medium for capturing these feelings. Working with clay makes me feel like a child again - imaginative, playful, colorful, creative. 

If you would like to know more about my process, polymer clay, or anything else, you can always reach out through my contact form.