Modern Day Talismans

For as long as jewellery has existed, jewels have been worn as amulets, charms, or talismans. A talisman is believed to carry magical and protective powers; some protect the wearer from danger or negative energy, others bring good fortune, and others serve as symbolic declarations of love, strength, and hope. Talismanic jewellery is a universal form of adornment with prehistoric origins. In India and ancient Greece, gold was believed to have healing powers; ancient Chinese and Egyptian culture believed that jewels, such as turquoise and jade, were the keys to the afterlife; the Aztecs understood the mystical value of jewels, offering emeralds and jade to the gods by throwing them into the sea; and in traditional African  and Islamic cultures, talismanic jewellery was worn to ward off evil spirits. Interest in talismanic jewellery, in their different forms, continues to have tremendous international appeal today. Drawing inspiration from both ancient and modern cultural symbolism, Elisabetta Cipriani’s wearable art collaborations highlight contemporary artists’ reinterpretation of amulet materials and symbols to create new kinds of enchanting talismanic jewels. Inspired by ancient beliefs in the mystical healing properties of stones, German contemporary artist Rebecca Horn and Lebanese jewellery designer Noor Fares are united in […]

November 2019 Dangerous Love and PAD London Report Read    

Elisabetta Cipriani’s pioneering concept of wearable art has redefined the meaning of, and the boundaries between jewellery and fine art. Since 2009, her powerful artistic collaborations have captured the imaginations of collectors from across the globe. Today Elisabetta’s gallery is a world-leading artist jewellery gallery representing over two dozen international contemporary artists. This year, Elisabetta celebrates her ten-year anniversary in the wearable art business. We sat down with Elisabetta to look back on her incredible journey over the past decade. What inspired you to start your wearable art business? I have always had a passion for antique jewellery ever since I was a child. Back then, I didn’t know anything about artist jewellery, but I had a passion for beautiful objects. My mother actually used to take out her jewellery with me while I sat on her bed. As I tried on my mother’s jewels, I would constantly ask her if, one day, I could have not one but all of them! Elisabetta’s parents in the 1990’s For me, I’ve always had a passion for jewellery deep in my heart. After finishing school, I really wanted to study jewellery design. I ended up doing a short course on pearls and diamonds, […]

Elisabetta Cipriani is pleased to present A Decade of Wearable Art & Giorgio Vigna, a special exhibition celebrating the gallery’s ten-year anniversary. The exhibition will be on show at Elisabetta Cipriani Gallery from the 21st November – 13th December 2019, Monday to Friday, 10am–6pm.  Giorgio Vigna, Floralia (2019), 18kt yellow gold earrings with pearls, 10.5 cm long, Edition of 10, Signed and numbered Featuring an eclectic and broad range of wearable art collaborations from the past ten years, the exhibition presents works by world leading visual artists, including Adel Abdessemed, Ania Guillaume, Ai Weiwei, Alba Polenghi Lisca, Atelier Van Lieshout, Avish Khebrehzadeh, Carlos Cruz-Diez, Chiharu Shiota, David R. Caballero, Enrico Castellani, Erwin Wurm, Francesco Arena, Giorgio Vigna, Giulio Paolini, Giuseppe Penone, Ifeanyi Oganwu, Ilya & Emilia Kabakov, Jacqueline de Jong, Jannis Kounellis, Kendell Geers, Liliane Lijn, Michele Oka Doner, Pascale Marthine Tayou, Paolo Canevari, Pedro Cabrita Reis, Rebecca Horn, Sissi, Sophie Whettnall, Tatsuo Miyajima, Tom Sachs, and Wim Delvoye. Works by EC Lab artists, namely, Flavie Audi, John Moore, Maria Sole Ferragamo, Noor Fares, and Ute Decker, will also be featured. For this special retrospective exhibition, Elisabetta has invited Giorgio Vigna to present two new projects, Floralia and Crystalline, together with a series of […]

BIJOUX D’ARTISTES: ARTIST’S JEWELS, HOMMAGE À FRANÇOIS HUGO Year: 2001 Authors: Claire Siaud and Pierre HUGO Publisher: Les Cypres Editeur Derived from the imagination and curiosity of world-renowned artists, the artist’s jewel holds a special place. The bilingual work “Jewels of Artists – Artist’s jewels – Tribute to François Hugo” was created by Claire Siaud and Pierre Hugo, and published by Les Cyprès Editeur in 2001. It explores the jewels made by François Hugo, in limited edition, for many artists (Jean Arp, Jean Cocteau, Andre Derain, Jean Dubuffet, Max Ernst, Jean Lurcat, Roberto Matta, Sidney Nolan, Picasso and Dorothea Tanning), then by Pierre Hugo (Arman, Corneille), son of the creator of the workshop. The book is divided into chapters, each corresponding to an artist introduced by a short presentation. It should be noted that the pages concerning Picasso’s jewels are the most numerous, the collaboration, which begun in 1956 was particularly fruitful. This collaboration gave rise to the manufacture of objects made of precious metals: plates, compotes, vases, medallions and statuettes. The collaboration of François Hugo and Picasso ended in 1961, when the artist retired to live in Mougins.

Elisabetta sat down with Noor Fares to discuss her career as a contemporary jewellery designer and the launch of her new Prana collection. EC: Throughout history, humans have attached great emotional and symbolic significance to jewellery. Why do you think jewellery has so much meaning? NF: Jewellery has so much meaning because it is a reflection of our culture, our tribe, and an expression of our personality which can be passed on through generations. Narrative is very important with fine jewellery, its story allows the wearer to connect with the piece and from this the story continues with them. EC: Your pieces are like modern day colourful talismans, inspired by ancient beliefs in the mystical healing properties of stones. Is protection an important component to your jewellery designs? NF: I have always believed in the healing properties of stones and I think that often the stone chooses the wearer by fulfilling something that might be lacking. That said, this is not something I like to enforce but rather subtly touch on in my collections. EC: Your new Prana collection explores the ancient seven Chakra system, namely Muladhara (Root), Svadhishthana (Sacral), Manipura (Solar Plexus), Anahata (Heart), Vishuddha (Throat), Ajna (Third Eye), and Sahasrara […]

September 2019 Highlights From The Upcoming Pad London Fair You Won’t Want To Miss By Ayesha Sohail Shehmir Shaikh Read  

Liliane Lijn speaks to Elisabetta Cipriani about her powerful Earth Body Art Elisabetta Cipriani sat down with Liliane Lijn, an extraordinary artist, whose diverse artistic career spans across more than four decades. Since the early 1960s, Lijn has worked as a revolutionary artist in the field of kinetic art – working across media to explore the interplay between language, movement, mythology, light, matter, science, and technology. We invited Lijn to discuss her wearable art sculptures, which are rooted in the vitality of planet earth. EC: Your wearable sculptures push the boundaries of jewellery. Each piece has a raw, organic aesthetic and is a direct reference to geological forms, such as lava, fossils, and meteorites. Why does the dynamic earth interest you? LL: I have always felt very close to nature, more than that, I am nature and I want to be aware of this reality. We now know that life on this planet is delicately balanced, that the planet is alive with an infinitely complex ecosystem. As a small part of it, I try to examine it, much as a child would, by playing.   Liliane Lijn, Magma Cuff (2018), 18kt gold cuff, edition of 5 + 1AP, unique. Photography: Deniz Guzel EC: You once said […]

Year: 2018 Authors: Diane Venet, Olivier Gabet, and Karine Lacquemant Publisher: Flammarion Bijoux d’artistes de Calder à Jeff Koons brings together more than 200 jewellery pieces by influential artists of the twentieth century, including Keith Haring, Anish Kapoor, Orlan, Sol LeWitt, Jeff Koons, Niki de Saint Phalle, and Man Ray. These jewels, most of which are unique and the fruits of exceptional creators, are far from minor, decorative art. They take on the status of a work of art. Together, they form an ideal collection of works, delicate and original. “The artist’s jewel is an impulse of the heart or an empirical exploration, between first vision and the sublime.” – Olivier Gabet, Director of Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris    

Elisabetta Cipriani Gallery sat down with Ai Weiwei, China’s most famous artist, to discuss the launch of his highly anticipated second wearable art project collaboration, Ring W and Ring M. A cultural figure, political activist, and artist, Ai Weiwei moves between modes of production to explore contemporary issues, including migration, shared history, systems of cultural value, political surveillance, and cross-cultural exchange. Comprising of two unique 24kt gold rings, his new and exclusive wearable art project reveals the artist’s continued interest in exploring themes of human migration and dignity. The statement pieces investigate what it means to be trapped, bound, and deprived of the freedom to travel and determine one’s own existence. By combining the artist’s signature iconography with iconic symbols of contemporary society, the powerful gold rings depict stories of migrants, which unfold underneath a mysterious half-moon: by foot or by sea, some are portrayed travelling together and others alone. The artist’s use of 24kt gold as well as his reference to ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics further reinforce the power of the wearable artworks as representative of the artist’s acute social awareness and exquisite artistic craftsmanship. At its core, the wearable art project is a manifestation of Ai Weiwei’s sensitivity to the duality of […]