Contemporary Jewelry Art

Book excerpt: Contemporary Jewellery Art presents the work of more than forty of the best and brightest young jewelry designers around the world. Their work is not about luxury or even permanence. Rather, the works within focus on the most creative use of common, inexpensive materials. The book is organized according to the materials used, including metal, ceramics, stone, wood, fur, textiles, plastic, soap, and rubber. The aesthetic of each piece, whether simple or sculpturally intricate, balances the designers unique perspective with the constraints and possibilities of each medium from the elasticity of plastic to the solid weight of stone, silver, and iron. Interviews with each designer illuminating the concept and creative work process renders this book a useful guide for everyone from the established jewelry designer to the independent crafter hoping to break into the industry. Designers featured include Hanna Hedman, Helfried Kodr, Mari Ishikawa, Iris Bodemer, Karl Fritsch, Marina Messone, Annika Pettersson, Maria Cristina Bellucci, Mirla Fernandes, and Timothy McMahon.