The 8th of March marks the return of International Women’s Day, and with it, Elisabetta Cipriani Gallery honours the multidisciplinary practices of wearable art projects and collaborations with leading female contemporary artists.   On this day, the world brings major recognition to the achievements of women from all industries. It represents that everyone deserves to have a voice, to tell their story, and to choose how they want to convey it. This year, International Women’s Day calls for the theme of Each For Equal, that the world broadens its perceptions beyond seeing gender and focus on what’s truly important, and so we salute the creative talents and ingenuity of women that continue to become so accomplished. For this occasion we would like to celebrate the works of five inspirational female artists who have challenged their artistic practices, often working with sculpture, painting, and architectural design, and redefining what it means to wear a work of art. Experimenting with different materials such as gold and silver, these artists confronted the major complexities surrounding wearable art, how it caters to wearer, how it reflects the characteristic of the artist, and how it presents a design that is fundamentally different from their other […]

Elisabetta Cipriani speaks to Ilya and Emilia Kabakov about The Fly  Widely known as pioneers of conceptual art, Ilya and Emilia Kabakov are among the most significant international artists to have emerged in the late 20th century. Having worked together since the late 1980s, the Russian-born American based duo is best known for their paintings, drawings, and immersive installations which address ideas of utopianism. Elisabetta Cipriani invited the Kabakovs to discuss their expansive artistic career and wearable art collection, The Fly. EC: You started working together in the late 1980s. What led to this artistic partnership, and why do you enjoy working together? IEK: This is a loaded question and one we always try to avoid answering. How can you explain why your relationship works? Why your marriage doesn’t fail? Or how you won a lottery/ you simply cannot. But we can say this: love, mutual respect, ability to listen to each other and… intervention of some luck and Angels. The rest is easy. We have been working together for 31 years now and we have known each other… forever. We wouldn’t be together if we didn’t enjoy working together. Our life is our work and our work is our life. EC: Over the past […]

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 […]

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 […]