Leslie Chang was born and raised in Melrose, Massachusetts, and has been drawn to art since childhood. Her true passion revealed itself when she stepped into a bead shop as a young girl and was captivated by the delicate beauty of tiny beads and the intricate art of beadwoven jewelry.
Today, Leslie balances her full-time career in oncology drug discovery with raising two young children, while devoting her free time to creating beaded tapestries and jewelry through her small business, Bay State Beadcraft.
Each tapestry begins with an inspiring image, which she carefully translates into beads using a specialized design software. She meticulously selects colors from the beads available, then brings the design to life one row at a time using a technique called peyote stitch. With tens of thousands of beads in a single piece, her tapestries often take months to complete.
Much like scientific research, beadwork requires patience, precision, and creativity. In both the lab and her art, Leslie finds joy in problem-solving, planning, and seeing projects come together. Her dual passions reflect the same underlying drive to create something meaningful, whether it is researching and developing a drug or creating a tapestry that captures beauty bead by bead.
Shop: Etsy.com/shop/BayStateBeadcraft
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baystatebeadcraft
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@baystatebeadcraft
Tapestries
Jewelry
