Amy Roper Lyons

Summit, New Jersey

Opal Nebula Pin

Amy Roper Lyons admits that she’s often influenced by the wonders of outer space. She says that her work has long been shaped by a synthesis of both ancient and contemporary influences. This pin, which is reminiscent of an open shell—in this case, one that contains the glittery colors of the universe—was inspired partly by the Veil Nebula photo, taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. She is “fascinated by how vibrant and beautiful this random feature of our universe is” and by “the power of human technology that allows us to see this distant object.” Her creations also draw from her love of Roman and Byzantine mosaics. The pin illustrates this influence with its cascade of colors in blue- and green-shaded squares and rectangles. “There’s a particular beauty in the fragmented quality of a mosaic, which then pulls together into a unified whole when viewed at a distance,” she says. The bursts of red, gold, and pink complement the color palette to unite in a striking and powerful visual.