Kenneth C. MacBain is a contemporary studio jeweler whose work focuses on the inherent complexities of human relationships. His current work of conceptual body adornment uses humor to address status, preciousness, and intimacy. His jewelry has been shown in more than 100 exhibitions in the United States and abroad. It has been featured in more than 30 books and in The New York Times and American Craft. His work is part of the permanent collections of the Museum of Arts and Design, the Newark Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Crafts.
MacBain is an associate professor of art and head of the jewelry/metals concentration in the Art Department at New Jersey City University. He earned his master of fine arts degree in jewelry/metals from Temple University and his bachelor’s degree in gold and silversmithing from the State University of New York at New Paltz. He is the recipient of many grants and awards, including the New Jersey State Council on the Arts Fellowship. He works from his home studio in New Jersey.