Émilie Mulcahey was born just outside the northern industrial city of Cleveland, Ohio, but spent the majority of her youth in rural North Carolina. From 2008 to 2012 she studied Craft/Material Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University. During her time at VCU, Mulcahey focused primarily on creating works that explored the purpose of adornment. Trained as a jeweler, she constantly questioned the role of accessories as functional objects. Using a wide variety of materials, Mulcahey began to investiage the basic conceptions of adornment, ultimately leading to a series of ‘antijewelry’ pieces.  Her more recent works deal largely with the female form. She combines everything from silicone to silk to create pieces that reference skin and fat.  Mulcahey currently works as the Studio Administrative Coordinator for the Visual Arts Center of Richmond and co-heads the collaborative art group, Collab-A-Craft.