Highlights from the Jewellery Department at Modern Art & Design
Highlights from Modern Art & Design
Bukowskis presents an exceptional selection of modern jewellery at this spring’s Modern Art & Design. The section offers designer jewellery by Wiwen Nilsson, Vivianna Torun Bülow-Hübe, Harald Nielsen, Björn Weckström, Sven-Erik Högberg, Inga-Britt "Ibe" Dahlquist, and more. Highlights include a beautiful bridal crown and a stunning bronze collier. Read more about upcoming highlights below.
Rey Urban
After completing his education at Konstfack in 1951, Rey Urban traveled the world for new inspiration, he also worked as a silversmith in Denmark for a period. Rey Urban was one of the participants in the important exhibition "Nutidssmycken" at the National Museum in 1959, an exhibition that presented most of the 1950s innovators of Swedish jewelry art. In the 1960s, together with Lars Fleming and Claës Giertta, he formed the group "Tre smeder" which exerted a great influence on the contemporary jewelry scene. Interest in Rey Urban's matter-of-fact and sometimes almost brutalist aesthetics is constantly growing, not least abroad where Swedish jewelry from the 1950s and 60s is held in high esteem. In the auction, Rey Urban's bracelet in 18K white gold with round brilliant-cut diamonds, created in Stockholm 1965, can be found.
Siv Lagerström studied at Konstfack, the metal department, from 1963 to 1967. Through her friend Ingegerd Råman, who was also educated at Konstfack, she came into contact with the magazine Idun, which appreciated her acrylic plastic rings. They were sold via mail order through Idun and were produced at Gravyrverken in Sollentuna for a short period in the early 1970s. They quickly became an international success. Lagerström's rings were fashionably on point, with parallels to the fashion world where she could be considered Sweden's equivalent to Pierre Cardin's futuristic, colourful fashion with a new silhouette and female liberation. Her rings represented a new artistic expression with new materials that broke away from the conventions of what a piece of jewellery should look like. The expression was more important than expensive materials, in a democratic spirit. Her work also bears similarities to the Op art of the 1960s with psychedelic abstract patterns in motion, creating a three-dimensional sculptural sensation.
Wiwen Nilsson was a Swedish designer born in Copenhagen. He studied at his father's workshop, as well as in Germany, Denmark and France. Nilsson is primarily known for his objects created in silver with a geometric, stylish and austere form. Nilsson made his debut at the Gothenburg Exhibition in 1923. At the Stockholm Exhibition in 1930, he had his big breakthrough and his innovative modernism was a success. Nilsson has, among other things, created jewellery, silverware and crockery. His design is plentifully represented in Modern Art & Design. Here a sterling bangle with three step-cut rock crystals, created by the designer in Lund in 1938.
Claës Giertta not only participated in the legendary exhibition "Nutidssmycken" at the National Museum in 1959, he also created the expressonistic cover image for the catalog which well illustrates his artistic style. Together with Rey Urban and Lars Fleming, he was part of the group "Tre smeder" with a great influence on the Swedish jewelry scene. Like most of his colleagues in the industry, Giertta moved freely between different genres and had, among others, a number of Stockholm-churches as clients. 1960 he designed the designed the cross Marget Sahlin wore when she was ordained as one of the first female priests in Sweden. In the auction, you will find his magnificent ring in 18K white gold with sapphire and brilliant-cut diamonds, designed in Stockholm 1977.
The width and artistic complexity of Sigurd Persson's artistry is almost overwhelming and makes him one of the greatest goldsmith and artists of the 20th century. After a long education in both Sweden and Germany he opened his own studio 1962 on Högbersgatan in Stockholm, but already in 1960 he gained international recognition with the exhibition "77 rings" at NK in Stockholm. In the spring's Modern Art & Design, you'll find a pair of earrings and a ring, in 18K gold with enamel and round brilliant-cut diamonds designed by Sigurd Persson in 1955.
Vivianna Torun Bülow Hübe was born in Malmö into a family where art was a natural part of everyday life. Her mother, Runa Bülow Hübe, was a sculptor and her father, Erik Bülow Hübe was a city planner. Torun had her first child, Pia, as an 18-year-old. She moved to Stockholm with her small child to start at her education at Konstfack.
In her spare time, Torun began working with simple materials such as cane, brass, leather etcetera and created African-inspired jewellery. She made these at home in her studio or in the park Humlegården while Pia was playing. She was given the opportunity to sell her creations to Estrid Ericson who sold them in her store "Svenskt Tenn" at Strandvägen. In the summer of 1948, Torun went to Paris where she hung out in artistic circles with, for example, Braque, Brancusi, Matisse and others. In Paris, she met her husband to be, the architect Jean-Pierre Serbonnet, with whom she had her son Claude. The couple lived in Stockholm where Torun had a small studio. She sold her jewellery herself, but also via Svenskt Tenn and in a shop at Sibyllegatan. The family visited Paris frequently, and in 1952 Torun exhibited her jewellery in Paris for the first time. Torun had a license to stamp in both Sweden and France, therefore some of her jewellery has Swedish stamps, others French. In 1952 Torun divorced the French architect and in 1956 she moved to Paris and met her second husband, the African-American Walter Coleman. She came to spend time mainly with Walter's friends in musicians and artist circles. Billie Holiday was one of Torun's customers at the time. Read more
Over time, it became difficult being African-American living in Paris and the couple moved to Biot. On the local beaches, she picked beach stones that she incorporated into her jewellery. Through various contacts, Torun had the opportunity to exhibit her jewellery at the Musée Picasso in 1958. See nr 169 and nr 179. Torun had her studio at home in her house. It was an active period with various apprentices and regular visits of Swedish blacksmiths. When her marriage ended in 1965, Torun took her children back to Sweden for a new start. Life became too lonely, though, and Torun moved to Germany in 1968. In this period, the collaboration with Georg Jensen began. When Jensen introduced Torun's well-known watch with mirror glass as a clock face, it was the first wristwatch in the company's history.
The collaboration with Jensen gave Torun financial stability as well as the opportunity to experiment. In 1976, Torun started a studio in Indonesia where they made simple necklaces with mother of pearl and shells. The idea was philanthropic, she provided job opportunities, and the money would go back to the organization to finance orphanages, old people's homes and hospital-cars, among other things. In 1978, Torun herself moved down to Indonesia. She remained in Indonesia with her business until the late 1990s when she moved to Copenhagen with her daughter Marcia and her family. Torun exhibited a large number of times during the 1990s. She died of cancer in 2004.
Torun was a designer that wasn’t only a pioneering silversmith by being a woman. She was a pioneer in creating those beautiful modernistic pieces of jewellery based on silver combined with glass drops, beach stones etc in such a timeless manner that has given her such a fine world repute.
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