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/
-
The world of Bart Prince, where architecture is born from the inside outFor the Albuquerque architect Bart Prince, function trumps form, and all building starts from the inside out; we revisit a profile from the Wallpaper* archive, first published in April 2009
-
The natural stars in a 15-ingredient new sleep supplement could help you rest easyOur writer tries Rested, the debut sleep supplement from Diome, which addresses physical and mental wellbeing to help your body do what should come naturally
-
Inside Burberry’s takeover of The Newt in Somerset, which pays homage to the ‘great British summer’Wallpaper* takes a trip to Somerset for a first look at Burberry’s takeover of The Newt hotel, seeing the British heritage house’s signature check adorn the estate – from the croquet lawn to a hot-air balloon
-
Sylvain Rieu-Piquet flits between jewellery and design in a Carpenters Workshop Gallery show‘Design is a way to think,’ says Rieu-Piquet ahead of his London exhibition ‘Chimaera’, featuring 40 pieces of sculptural jewellery and ceramics
-
Cartier’s major new exhibition opens at the V&A and it’s a gem‘Cartier’ at the V&A in London takes an epic tour through the house’s history and archives
-
Van Cleef & Arpels light up London with the Dance Reflections festivalVan Cleef & Arpels are celebrating their ties with the world of choreography with the second edition of the Dance Reflections festival across London
-
As London’s V&A spotlights Mughal-era design, Santi Jewels tells of its enduring relevance‘The Great Mughals: Art, Architecture and Opulence’ is about to open at London’s V&A. Here, Mughal jewellery expert and Santi Jewels founder Krishna Choudhary tells us of the influence the dynasty holds today
-
Discover the fantastical jewellery world of Castro NYC in LondonCarpenters Workshop Jewellery celebrates the work of Castro NYC with a London exhibition
-
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
-
Self-Portrait launches first jewellery collectionSelf-Portrait rethinks traditional motifs in its first jewellery collection, turning the feminine flounces of the bow into chic, contemporary pieces
-
Seiko shines a light on conceptual Japanese watch designSeiko’s Power Design Project 2024 at Japan House London explores watchmaking potential with seven ‘incredibly specialised watches’
