After music and figurative art, even in jewelry we are witnessing an enhancement of African-American creativity, on the wave of the Black Lives Matter movement. Sotheby’s New York, together with the jewelry editor and author Melanie Grant, organized the first exhibition-sale dedicated to black contemporary jewelry designers ((Brilliant & Black: A Jewelry Renaissance). The exhibition-sale will begin on September 17 and includes 60 pieces by 21 US and European designers from the 1950s to today. In case you are wondering, no, there is no common thread, no aesthetics, no common denominator between the various jewelry designers.
And this, of course, is positive because it signals that everyone’s creative path is not necessarily linked to a pre-established scheme. There are jewels of all kinds, including those of high jewelery, the Enchanted Garden earrings by Vanleles, inspired by African batik and made of titanium and rose gold, set with African rubies, the personalized 2.5 carat pink diamond ring by Maggi Simpkins of floral inspiration, valued at 1 million dollars.
The list of jewelers-designers represented in the exhibition-sale includes Harwell Godfrey, Jacqueline Rabun, Johnny Nelson, Lorraine West, Rashid Johnson, Thelma West, Vanleles, Castro NYC, Almasika, Marei, Mateo New York, Matturi, Melanie Eddy, Sheryl Jones, Thousand Things, Lola Fenhirst, Jariet Oloyé, Maggi Simpkins and Shola Branson.
Die Liste der im Ausstellungsverkauf vertretenen Juweliere-Designer umfasst Harwell Godfrey, Jacqueline Rabun, Johnny Nelson, Lorraine West, Rashid Johnson, Thelma West, Vanleles, Castro NYC, Almasika, Marei, Mateo New York, Matturi, Melanie Eddy, Sheryl Jones, Thousand Things, Lola Fenhirst, Jariet Oloyé, Maggi Simpkins und Shola Branson.