House of Tenebris: CLC Artisan

Local performers, artisans, DIY engineers, chefs and crafty innovators come together for the 10th Annual Craft Lake City DIY Festival at the Gallivan Center. This-three day weekend, Aug. 10–12, will encapsulate the craftsmanship that our city cultivates while celebrating Utah’s movers and shakers. Spread across the breadth of these pages are peeks into some of what this year’s DIY Festival will feature. Bring your family, friends, lovers to enjoy what this year’s festival has to offer! Visit craftlakecity.com to learn more about this community enriching event!

Adrian and Rachel Prazen’s relationship and craftsmanship were forged from dark and intricate places. After coming in and out of the tempering fire, they channeled their struggles and strengths into a thriving jewelry business. “House of Tenebris means ‘House of Darkness,’” they say. “There is no light without dark. At this point, we’d say we’ve become very comfortable in the light, and I really believe you can see that in our work. What is life other than the experience of nature and, ultimately, death? Our work is our experience of life.”

House of Tenebris (houseoftenebris.bigcartel.com) offers complex, fascinating designs ranging from ear weights to cuffs and breastplates. Their striking pieces include brass etchings and organic imagery. “Referring to the bobcat eyeball ring, Adrian had an eyeball ring as a child and he wanted to recreate it. The Ajna cuff is a representation of what I see when I meditate on my third eye,” Rachel says, noting some of the cultural references they source. “We love sacred geometry and patterns in general, sometimes pulling from those that exist but also designing our own.”

The response to House of Tenebris’ work has been as wild and wonderful as their products. “We have been asked if we’re witches,” they say, “and are our rings magical! The most impactful [response] is that our work is unique—that no one else does what we do and that our etchings are so clean. These are things we strive for. We don’t want to make what everyone else is making!”

The “House of Darkness” will be offering expanded products on the horizon. “The last few months, we’ve started delving into body jewelry, and we love it,” they say. “You will be seeing a lot more of that over the next year as well as new etched pieces and bigger, more statement pieces.”