Surrealist symbols hold an enduring appeal for Morgan and Jaclyn Solomon, the sisters behind New York-based jewellery brand Agmes. Their new collection of jewels explores the ambiguity of the human hand, a particular fascination of surrealists, who explored it abstractly as a symbol of both tenderness and terror.
The influence of Salvador Dalí and Man Ray is clear to see in the oversized proportions and slyly humorous design ticks of the sisters’ designs. Hands cast in sterling silver and yellow gold dangle from brooches, or cling mischievously onto earlobes, while globular pearls sway. On necklaces, thick ropes of irregularly sized pearls tease a hand waving ‘hello’ – when framed against graphic links of sterling silver, its meaning distorts again.
Adding to the magical mood, Dutch photographer Paul Kooiker’s eerie images capture the jewellery in sepia tones. ‘The hand can signify so many different things, and we decided to examine what the Agmes hand would look like to us. As female artists who work with our hands, ultimately, it symbolizes strength.’
Rita bracelet and necklace, left, and Rita earring, right
Emmanuelle earrings, left, and Dion necklace, right
INFORMATION
agmesnyc.com
-
Inside Christian de Portzamparc’s showstopping House of Dior Beijing: ‘sculptural, structural, alive’Daven Wu travels to Beijing to discover Dior’s dramatic new store, a vast temple to fashion that translates haute couture into architectural form
-
A music player for the mindful, Sleevenote shuns streaming in favour of focused listeningDevised by musician Tom Vek, Sleevenote is a new music player that places artist intent and the lost art of record collecting at the forefront of the experience
-
Take a tour of the 'architectural kingdom' of JapanJapan's Seto Inland Sea offers some of the finest architecture in the country – we tour its rich selection of contemporary buildings by some of the industry's biggest names
-
Art takes London: Tiffany & Co, Damien Hirst and artists take over Selfridges' windowsFour British contemporary artists celebrate Tiffany & Co's pioneering history with a series of storied window displays
-
All smiles: How a grillz jewellery making class in London became an international hitWhat started as a passion project quickly exploded in popularity. We get the story behind the grillz-making workshop at Cockpit London
-
Emerging jewellery designers to get to knowThese independent, new and emerging jewellery designers and brands from New York to Paris are firmly on our radar
-
Playing it cool: pearls are having a momentWe've been deep-diving into boutiques around the world to find the very best calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form. It seems jewellers have been busy rethinking pearls, with contemporary (and often affordable) results
-
Eternity rings for the modern coupleEternity rings, whether sleekly minimalist or sprinkled in diamonds, can be a chic and contemporary love token
-
CryptoPunks come to life on Tiffany & Co pendantsTiffany & Co has partnered with blockchain infrastructure company Chain to create custom pendants and NFTiffs
-
Order of the day: Pomellato’s high jewellery takes us from dawn to duskPomellato’s new high jewellery collection, La Gioia, tells the story of a day in precious stones
-
Anklets welded onto the body make romantic and enduring jewellery tokensAtelier VM’s ‘L’Essenziale’ jewellery collection now includes slender gold anklets
