Paris. Not Only Diamonds
Silver, iron and bronze. Metals forged and shaped into works of art. Rediscovering contemporary jewels in the "Ville Lumière"
New style principles filter through Paris. But they don’t stop at the Haute Joaillerie salons. They choose contemporary jewels, electing the Jewelry Gallery as “the place to be”. Three Parisian gallerists are willing participants of this innovative and very personal way of making jewelry and especially of showing them off to the world. We chose them for this open dialogue about the efforts of four artists whose work is seen through the lens of photographer Isabelle Bonjean: Esther de Beaucé from Galerie MiniMasterpiece, Elsa Vanier from the gallery of the same name and Cyril Ermel of Ibu Gallery.
Photos by Isabelle Bonjean
MARIANNE ANSELIN as told by ELSA VANIER, GALERIE ELSA VANIER
«Marianne Anselin is a young, lively, very sensible and subtle artist but she is also extremely innovative. She is always ready with new ideas that transform into tangible objects, forging metals, especially oxidized iron, and her favorite, titanium. Marianne is the essence of contemporary jewelry. According to her school of thought, jewelry expresses the relationship with the human body; it is the personal expression of her vision of beauty and it is experienced as if it had a soul. Like the Plier ring in silver and iron, a small sculpture that emanates poetry.»
Silver and iron Plier ring, MARIANNE ANSELIN.
ALINA ALAMOREAN as told by CYRIL ERMEL, IBU GALLERY
«What impresses and strikes me most about Alina Alamorean’s sculptural work is the physical relationship the artist establishes between the jewel and the body. Thanks to the secrets of her craftsmanship, her manual ability, and the extraordinary way she folds, stretches and molds metal around the wrists, fingers, and necks, Alina gives bronze and silver a rare sensibility and an unexpected charge of emotions. This fantastic world of jewelry is almost magical, seemingly effortless, made for “winning queens,” as she likes to define her égeries. A dreamlike dimension that gives life to her visions.»
Queen necklace in black patinated and satinated bronze with polished outlines, ALINA ALAMOREAN.
DIDIER COURBOT AND CHRISTIAN GHION as told by ESTHER DE BEAUCÉ, GALERIE MINIMASTERPIECE
«For artist Didier Courbot, creating a jewel is equal to creating a sculpture or an architectural work. The value is the same; it is still a combination of curiosity and creativity, leaving aside the idea of size. His Satellite cuff in vermeil is a “serious” statement, while the Marseille manchette in gold-plated brass is the recycling of a garden project Courbot created in Marseille. Designer Christian Ghion, who has distinguished himself over time for having collaborated with important global design companies, communicates his passion for organic forms through the volumes in a jewel. His Inside Out ring is an example, with its interplay between the interior and the exterior: they represent unity and the infinite.»
Ring Inside Out, CHRISTIAN GHION.
