Jeka’s undergraduate studies were in costume design for theater, art history, and anthropology. She received a certificate in interior architecture from U.C. Berkeley Extension in 1999. She has lived in Hawaii since 2010.
"I love making jewelry with tiny beads because I find endless fascination in working with the vast array of bead colors, and because of the multitude of possibilities for creating different shapes and forms by joining beads in different ways. I’m stimulated intellectually by the challenge of making something beautiful while at the same time assuring the structural integrity of each piece."
Her beadwork has been exhibited in international juried shows, including the 2005 Beads and Fiber Exhibit at the Delaplane in Bethesda, MD, 2008 Wearable Expressions at the Palos Verdes Art Center, and 2008 Beadwork exhibit at the Bead Museum in Washington, D.C. Her work has also been published in books and magazines.
"I see design inspiration everywhere. Doing what I do has transformed my way of looking at nature and man made items. Much of what I do entails experimentation and inventiveness, drawing me seductively into the web of creation. The creative process is a mystery to me. I am the channel through which a piece reveals itself. It’s my job to get out of the way and let the piece become what it becomes."
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