Darker-skinned jewelers and designers than others. Sotheby’s offers them a new appointment: Brilliant & Black: The Age of Enlightenment. The sale organized in London (22 September 2 October) follows the one organized in New York last year. The curator of the exhibition is the same, Melanie Grant: she has selected jewels by black designers from the 1950s to today. In all 70 pieces from 25 different creators. Already present in New York were Melanie Eddy, Lola Fenhirst, Harwell Godfrey, Sheryl Jones, Vania Leles, Angie Marei, Satta Matturi, Johnny Nelson, Jariet Oloye-Oduto, Jacqueline Rabun, Catherine Sarr, Maggi Simpkins, Karen Smith, Ten thousand things, Lorraine West, Thelma West and Castro, who died suddenly last July.
They are joined by Disa Allsopp, Latoya Boyd, Shola Branson, Ndidi Eubia, Gina Love, Pascale Marthine Tayou, Roxanne Rajcommar-Hadden and Sewit Sium. The exhibition coincides with Black History Month in the UK. Everyone created at least one new piece of jewelery for the exhibition. The jewels are top of the range. And even though designers like Satta Matturi use motifs and icons of African origin, most of the jewels on offer are completely indistinguishable from those of other non-black designers. They are simply beautiful.
