Iva HLADIS

Born: 1965
Media: jewelry

Iva Hladis was born in Czechoslovakia in 1965.

​Her exposure to art began early in life; both her father and mother were artists. At fifteen, after being denied studying art, she became associated with  “Charter 77 “, an underground political group that championed human rights in the then Russian-occupied Czechoslovakia.

​In the summer of 1985 Iva escaped over the Dolomite Alps and after months in an immigration camp in Latina made her home in Rome, Italy. A year later she was granted political asylum in the United States. Upon her arrival she began pursuing her passion as an artist, the reason behind leaving her country.

In more than 3 decades her art went through many phases. Her jewelry art is created by using needle-felted wool.  Her work includes pieces made from indigo-dyed wool, assorted beads, sterling silver, and bamboo.