On 28 October, Betty de Stefano’s prestigious Brussels based Collectors Gallery, organized an information session in order to present their latest collection of Zaha Hadid’s work with Georg Jensen. With the passing of Zaha Hadid in March, Georg Jensen lost an exceedingly gifted and visionary design talent. She had just recently put the finishing touches on a new collection, these eight pieces are a testament both to her extraordinary eye as a designer and the effortless way she enabled the simple and the complex to coexist. Beautifully organic and powerful, each piece in the Zaha Hadid Collection of five rings and three cuff bangles takes inspiration from Hadid’s architecture, referencing the undulating silhouettes seen in many of her structures.
As with the natural, fluid outlines of these buildings, her jewellery designs echo nature’s distinct sculptural forms. Just as ribbons of windows wrap each building, a ‘striped’ relief encircles these new designs, creating natural light, shade and a dramatic architectural line. The pieces, crafted in both sterling silver and black rhodium set with black diamonds, are carefully engineered to feel voluptuously tactile. In fact, the way in which jewellery itself is worn is reimagined: rings sweep gently across the hand or soar playfully above the finger; an elegant cuff bracelet engages in a natural play of light, wrapped around the wrist in a deceptively simple twist of silver. The silver naturally alternates between a polished and matte effect, while the black rhodium pieces lend a subtle gleam to graphic, architectural forms.
“There was always a continuity in Zaha’s work, and the same is true of this collection,” says David Chu, Georg Jensen Chairman and Chief Creative Officer. “Her aesthetic aligned with the history of our jewellery designs, celebrating nature’s seemingly simple yet mathematical forms. And our partnership honoured a century of collaborating with designers whose vision transforms the way we think.”
The Collectors Gallery will now be bringing some of her most sought after work to their gallery on Rue Lebeau 17 in Brussels.
There are four variations, namely sterling silver, black rhodium set with black diamonds + yellow 18K gold and 18K gold sets with white diamonds. The pieces are crafted in both sterling silver and black rhodium set with black diamonds, and are carefully engineered to feel voluptuously tactile.
ZAHA HADID
Zaha Hadid had achieved international prominence as one of the world’s foremost architects and designers when she died unexpectedly in March 2016. A thoroughly contemporary thinker and designer, her creative vision was defined by vital, flowing forms and an unmistakably bold presence. She studied mathematics at the American University of Beirut, then moved
to London to study architecture in the 1970s, and in 1979 established the practice that bears her name.
In her career, she designed sports stadiums, theatres, opera houses, art galleries, shoes and a car, among other objects. The Zaha Hadid Collection for Georg
Jensen was her first collaboration with the Danish design house. “Working with Georg Jensen presented an opportunity to express our ideas in different scales and through different media. Our starting point was the many links to nature at Georg Jensen,” Hadid said, speaking about the Collection earlier this year. “There is an inherent integrity within the organic structural logic found in nature, and we often look at the coherence of natural systems when we work to create environments. Our challenge was to translate that into something that can be worn; to reinterpret the rich history and tradition of the Georg Jensen design approach into something new.”
GEORG JENSEN JEWELLERY
Georg Jensen established his studio in Copenhagen in 1904. A master silversmith and jeweller, he embraced an artistic vision that viewed art, sculpture, and architecture as a single artistic expression. The Danish design house established a modernist, mid-century jewellery language with a sleek, sculptural aesthetic. Collaborations with noted artists of every design era including Vivianna
Torun Bülow-Hübe, Anne Ammitzbøll and Nina Koppel helped create an archive of iconic collec-tions still in production today. In 2015, the Jordan Askill Collection opened a new chapter in jewellery design collaborations. The Zaha Hadid Collection continues this rich heritage of exceptional design.
The Collectors gallery is open Tuesday to Saturday between 11am – 6.30 pm and on Sundays between 11am – 3pm. It is located on 17 Rue Lebeau, 1000 Brussels.
There are four variations on offer, namely sterling silver, black rhodium set with black diamonds + yellow 18K gold and 18K gold sets with white diamonds. The pieces are crafted in both sterling silver and black rhodium set with black diamonds, and are carefully engineered to feel voluptuously tactile.
More info can be found on www.collectors-gallery.com
The Brussels Times