Colonna

Joy BC Colonna, 2023 18kt yellow Pinton gold, recycled 925 silver bracelet Edition of  5 + 1 AP Unique within the series “Columns and pillars are symbols of strength. Yet this column has been broken into pieces. The pieces have then been re-assembled and held together with gold. This wearable sculpture, which can be adorned as a bracelet, literally it bends. A seemingly rigid form now made flexible. To mend a broken bone that has been shattered in several places, pins are put in place to hold it together, to allow it to heal. This work looks at how so many of the western ideals of democracy have been shattered, bent and broken. It is time to rebuild, mend and heal. Akin to the art of Kintsugi, a Japanese technique of mending fragmented ceramics with gold and urushi lacquer (which I learnt about whilst on a research fellowship in Japan), the fragments of this broken column are held together with gold. This column in particular is Ionic. Ionic columns were sturdy, detailed and ornate, serving both as a work of art and a supportive structure. The Greek architect Vitruvius suggests that Ionic design was brought about by elements of the […]

Elsa Sarantidou Birds of Paradise, 2023 Silver, 18kt yellow gold, light blu sapphires, white rodhium sculptural cuff Unique For the EC LAB, the gallery selected eight one-of-a kind sculptural pieces from her latest collection Secret Garden. The collection is a testament to the awe-inspiring beauty that lies within the natural world, and an invitation to discover the hidden wonders that await us in the heart of a secret garden. Elsa’s pieces are all designed and handmade by her; she designs the texture and subsequently applied on the surface using a 3D printing technique. The metal sheet is cut and hand-shaped by the artist. “As you wear these pieces, you allow yourself to be transported to a place where dreams intertwine with reality, where the delicate patterns of foliage and the gentle whispers of flowers harmonise in a symphony of serene elegance. Feel the soft caress of petals against your skin, as if nature herself is gently embracing your hand, whispering ancient secrets and stories only the garden’s inhabitants have heard”. As you embark on this journey through my secret garden, I invite you to embrace the beauty that surrounds us, to reconnect with the world that often goes unnoticed in […]

Maria Sole Ferragamo Trame (Weaves, Plots), 2023 Gold-plated brass bracelet 8 x 17.3 cm Unique Each piece created by Maria Sole Ferragamo, is more than just a beautifully crafted ornament; it embodies a tale of resilience and reimagined possibilities, which echos the principles of the Arte Povera movement and its main elements such as the humble use of primitive or everyday materials, sarcastic tone, and unconventional forms. The brass shavings here have their own history, once destined to be melted down into new brass, but now repurposed as Trucioli (shavings) to create intricate and captivating designs. In the world of ” Trame (Weaves, Plots)”, every brass shaving holds its own distinctive form, derived from the object from which it was discarded. When that particular object ceases production, its corresponding brass shaving, with its unique shape, will never be reproduced again. This inherent characteristic of each shaving adds an unparalleled sense of value and rarity to the collection. The essence of this project lies in the idea that true preciousness can be found in scarcity, drought. By harnessing the inherent beauty of each brass shaving and carefully crafting them into extraordinary pieces, Maria Sole has created a collection that embodies both […]

Elsa Sarantidu Birds of Paradise, 2023 silver, 18kt gold, hot pink sapphires , white rodhium plated sculptural cuff Unique For the EC LAB, the gallery selected eight one-of-a kind sculptural pieces from her latest collection Secret Garden. The collection is a testament to the awe-inspiring beauty that lies within the natural world, and an invitation to discover the hidden wonders that await us in the heart of a secret garden. Elsa’s pieces are all designed and handmade by her; she designs the texture and subsequently applied on the surface using a 3D printing technique. The metal sheet is cut and hand-shaped by the artist. “As you wear these pieces, you allow yourself to be transported to a place where dreams intertwine with reality, where the delicate patterns of foliage and the gentle whispers of flowers harmonise in a symphony of serene elegance. Feel the soft caress of petals against your skin, as if nature herself is gently embracing your hand, whispering ancient secrets and stories only the garden’s inhabitants have heard”. As you embark on this journey through my secret garden, I invite you to embrace the beauty that surrounds us, to reconnect with the world that often goes unnoticed […]

Mirko Basaldella Motivo Astratto (Abstract Motif), 1955 Yellow gold (Oro Masenza) chiseled casting bracelet 17 x 4.5 cm unique Basaldella was researching on new forms and abstractions, his sculptures evolved and mutated into a more twirled patterns and the architectural feature in his works started to prevail. As a matter of fact, and among the most peculiar of his monumental creation, the spectacular and imposing bronze gate designed by the Artist between 1950-1951 at the Mausoleum of the Fosse Ardeatine in Rome (Italy). An extremely intricate movement of woven signs and lines, which will soon become Basaldella’s trademark and the main principle in his wearable pieces, like the 1955 Abstract Motif  bracelet. Here the Artist mutated the bronze into gold and reduced to the size of the jewel the interlocking knife shapes and lines perceptible in the design of the gate, lightening though the graphic. Made in chiselled ‘Masenza gold 64’, also identified as ‘green gold’ for its distinctive gold-silver alloy, it’s a resemble and echo of the ancient Etruscans sculptures and Roman’s jewellery, to which Mirko always expressed a particular interest. Published on the book Gioielli D’artista in Italia 1945- 1995 (page 75), Abstract Motif bracelet it’s been inherited by […]

Maria Sole Ferragamo Trame (Weaves, Plots), 2023 Gold-plated brass with white / black enamel bracelet 8 x 17.3 cm Unique Each piece created by Maria Sole Ferragamo, is more than just a beautifully crafted ornament; it embodies a tale of resilience and reimagined possibilities, which echos the principles of the Arte Povera movement and its main elements such as the humble use of primitive or everyday materials, sarcastic tone, and unconventional forms. The brass shavings here have their own history, once destined to be melted down into new brass, but now repurposed as Trucioli (shavings) to create intricate and captivating designs. In the world of ” Trame (Weaves, Plots)”, every brass shaving holds its own distinctive form, derived from the object from which it was discarded. When that particular object ceases production, its corresponding brass shaving, with its unique shape, will never be reproduced again. This inherent characteristic of each shaving adds an unparalleled sense of value and rarity to the collection. The essence of this project lies in the idea that true preciousness can be found in scarcity, drought. By harnessing the inherent beauty of each brass shaving and carefully crafting them into extraordinary pieces, Maria Sole has created […]

Sophia Vari Thalassa, 2022 Amaranth wood and 18kt yellow gold bracelet h 7 cm edition of 6 plus 2 AP signed and numbered Thalassa was the primordial goddess of the sea. Mingled with Points (Pontus), her male counterpart, she produced the fish and other sea creatures. Thalassa was the literal body of the sea and in the fables of Aesop, manifests as a woman formed of sea-water rising from her native element. Thalassa is depicted in Greco-Roman mosaics as a matronly woman, half-submerged in the sea, with crab-claw horns, seaweed for clothes, and a ship’s oar in her hand. The variety of medium present in these works is exceptional and unique. Works made of marble from Thassos, Carrara and Belgium, gold, silver, amaranth wood, Pau Amarelo wood, resin and rock-crystal are chosen to emphasise the composition of volume, form and movement. The new body of works are once again breath taking in strength and creativity. Abstraction is refined to the hummed mantra of “Beauty and Harmony” where bold geometric forms are accentuated by colour coming from unconventional mediums. They are sculptures that become wearable with the force of a poetic statement. New materials such as amaranth wood and resin appeared in front […]

Sophia Vari Virgile II, 2007 Ebony and 18kt yellow gold set with a miniature sculpture in black marble bracelet 8.5 x 5.5 cm edition of 8 signed numbered Greek mythology played a fundamental role in the literary culture of ancient Rome. Roman writers, often inspired by their Greek predecessors, viewed myths as one of the main components of successful narrative texts. Mythological stories were accepted as fictitious, but many tales were also believed to have some historical origin as well as cultural importance. Homer famously combined history and myth in his epic Greek poems, the Odyssey and the Iliad. These great works served as continual inspiration for later ancient writers, including the Roman poet Virgil. Allusions to Greek mythology are particularly evident in Virgil’s Aeneid, as well as his earlier work the Georgics. Sophia Vari’s “portable sculptures”, as she likes to call them, first became part of the artist’s body of work 30 years ago; at a time in her life when demanding international schedule kept her constantly on the move. While travelling, she carried with her a small box of plasticine, from which she would mould miniature sculptures. “From that day on, I had a new creative challenge that gave me a lot of joy […]

Sophia Vari Laocoon II, late 90s 18kt yellow gold set with a miniature sculpture in black marble bracelet 7 x 4 cm edition of 6 signed and numbered In Greek and Roman mythology Laocoon was a Trojan priest. He and his two young sons were attacked by giant serpents, sent by the gods.  The story of Laocoön has been the subject of numerous artists, both in ancient and in more contemporary times Sophia Vari’s work is a reflection of her multicultural upbringing, her artistic language is distinct and informed by a multiplicity of influences from Mayan, Egyptian, Olmec, and Cycladic traditions as well as Ancient and Baroque aesthetics.  Vari’s sculptures have evolved through several stages in the last few decades. While her early work from the 1960s onwards was mostly figurative, in the 1980s, Vari began to employ rounded abstract forms that suggested the human body. Eventually she began incorporating planar and constructed forms into her work, and by the mid-1990s she had begun to apply colour to the surfaces of her dynamic sculptures. This use of colour contributes to the movement of Vari’s pieces, and her sculptural works, created both on a monumental scale and as table pieces, appear to move autonomously as the viewer walks around them. […]

Pol Bury Spheres on both sides of a square, 1968 18kt yellow gold bracelet stamped GEM 750 H 73 cm Edition of 50 Signed and numbered Pol Bury dedicates himself to rethinking ‘ornament’ with his own creativity examining metal and movement as he did on large scale sculptures. Even though it was a personal game, working on small sculptures to wear was an extension of his creativity.  For the artist it was important how the jewellery felt against the body and to give equal importance to both views of the piece, as shown in the Spheres on Both Sides of a Square bracelet, where yellow gold spheres of equivalent size are mounted on both sides. This rare 18kt yellow bracelet was produced in 1968 with GEM Montebello in Milan and it is from an unfinished edition of 50 [only 25 have been made]. It is signed, dated, numbered, stamped GEM 750 and comes in its original box. At the age of 25, GianCarlo Montebello and his wife Teresa Pomodoro founded GEM Montebello in 1967 with the intent to propose to the public multiples and limited editions wearable ornaments made by international renowned artists like Man Ray, Lucio Fontana, Sonia Delaunay, Jesús […]