The Growing Phenomenon of Artist-Made Jewelry

Arles, Hôtel Particulier of the Lee Ufan Foundation. Preparing for the launch on July 1st of a rare object by the renowned Korean contemporary artist is no small feat. This time, he has partnered with Parisian gallerist Esther de Beaucé to produce an artist-made piece of jewelry. “Lee Ufan set the pace,” explains the specialist. “He was ready to take the plunge. I had been on the starting blocks for years. His foundation in Arles represents a magnificent setting.”

But how and why did such a project come to be? At what point does an accomplished artist, a painter, sculptor, stage director, and writer decide to materialize his subtle, conceptual, experiential art into a piece of jewelry? “I have been in contact with the artist through his entourage for about ten years,” adds Esther de Beaucé. “I regularly invited him to design a wearable sculpture. It wasn’t until early 2024 that he accepted the challenge. We had an initial working meeting at the gallery, pen in hand. I then developed prototypes with the Parisian jeweler who frequently collaborates with me, and Lee Ufan approved them step by step. The challenge for him was to connect the DNA of his monumental work with the issues of the body. He chose the typology of the earring for his project. Like a mobile extension of the lobe, the fine sculpture in gold and raw black diamond will swing elegantly from the ear and, I hope, meet the challenge of this first artist-made piece of jewelry.”

A fairly unique feat, as true artist-made jewelry is rare – and thus precious. These are mini-sculptures, little masterpieces. “In limited edition, an artist-made jewel requires at least the direct intervention of the artist,” explains collector Diane Venet. “It’s not a vague reproduction or an interpretation, but a true work of art.” Diane Venet has gathered more than 300 pieces of jewelry, all signed by the greatest modern and contemporary artists. She is one of the world's most significant collectors and the person who has brought artist-made jewelry, long ignored, to the forefront, showcasing them in the world’s major museums, to the point where galleries dedicated to them are opening in Paris and elsewhere. “Artist-made jewelry has a particular flavor,” confides Esther de Beaucé. “It is, of course, jewelry since it is worn, but it has tremendous added value: it was conceived by an artist. As a result, it carries within it a force, a monumentality, a poetry that takes it beyond the realm of ordinary jewelry. It is jewelry-sculpture. It is the specific character of its creator that makes it extraordinary.”