Sophia Vari’s sculptural jewellery comes to London

Sophia Vari’s sculptural sensibilities are celebrated by Elisabetta Cipriani gallery, which this month has announced its first solo exhibition of the late Greek artist’s work (Vari passed away in May 2023). ‘All Mediums are Noble’ encompasses 40 wearable sculptures – 12 of which were created exclusively for the exhibition – made from a rich tapestry of materials, including resin, rock crystal, amaranth wood and marble.  

For Cipriani, it is a rare chance to celebrate Vari’s work. ‘There are many things that I love about her jewellery,’ she says. ‘The main one is that all the pieces embellish the woman and at the same time they protect her. It is rare that a visual artist is able to make so many jewellery pieces that look wonderful on. They are all handmade and the craftsmanship is done to perfection. The other aspects that I love about her pieces is that they are sculptural, feminine, bold, with personality and extremely wearable. They are statement pieces without overpowering the wearer. They look beautiful on every person I have seen wearing them.’

Vari created the pieces seen in the exhibition from the early 2000s to 2023, and they epitomise her fascination with striking a balance between function and form. She commented in the past: ‘When I create jewellery, I don’t think about jewellery, it becomes jewellery at a later stage. The difference between a sculpture and jewel is that the latter must embellish and reassure the woman who wears it.’

‘It was an exciting surprise when the new pieces arrived at the gallery,’ Cipriani adds. ‘I was not involved in the creative process nor in the production; I never was with her work. I always trusted her taste and I knew she would create something very special for me. Sophia was very aware that I love her jewellery made of marble and wood and the surprise was not only to see her stimulating curiosity in experimenting with new materials but also to see an incredible evolution of the forms. They have more round, sensuous, clear lines and are radical at the same time. These forms live in harmony with the body and move like a delicate and sensual dance.’

‘All Mediums are Noble’ is on view until 7 July 2023 at elisabettacipriani.com/sophia-vari/