All That Glitters: Opulence in Art and Adornment

by Natasha Wolff | November 21, 2013 2:30 pm

Minimalism has its virtues, but this season’s designers of fine jewelry are having none of that, turning heads in a particularly artful way. How else to describe such byzantine embellishments as seen from the likes of Graff, Damiani and others?

While diamonds may be forever, so is art, and each draws inspiration from the other. Consider the complex dreamscapes of Kashmir-bred, London-based artist Raqib Shaw, whose vibrant paintings, drawings and sculptures are speckled with glitter, crystals and semi-precious stones.

Though the otherworldly scenes he creates are massive in both size and concept, they are also highly deliberate: Shaw often paints with porcupine quills for precision. Through January, Pace Gallery[1] in New York will host Shaw’s “Paradise Lost,[2]” an exhibition inspired by John Milton’s fall-of-man theme. Featuring new pieces best described as grand—including an eight-foot sculpture inspired by Shaw’s bonsai collection—the show is a glittering homage to man, beast and the power of embellishment.

Raqib Shaw’s Paradise Lost[3] exhibition is on display at Pace Gallery now until January 11, 2014. Click on the gallery above to see how this season’s fine jewels are following suit.

 

MORE:

Rediscovering the Jewels of Alexandre Reza[4]
Stunning, Surreal Pieces of Jewelry
Unearthing a New Generation of Gems[5]

Endnotes:
  1. Pace Gallery: http://www.pacegallery.com/
  2. Paradise Lost,: http://www.pacegallery.com/newyork/exhibitions/12600/paradise-lost
  3. Paradise Lost: http://www.pacegallery.com/newyork/exhibitions/12600/paradise-lost
  4. Rediscovering the Jewels of Alexandre Reza: http://dujour.com/gallery/alexandre-reza-jewelry-sothebys
  5. Unearthing a New Generation of Gems: http://dujour.com/gallery/gemfields-couturelab-collaboration-mila-kunis-campaign

Source URL: https://dujour.com/style/opulent-fine-jewelry-raqib-shaw/