With big wigs like Hillary Clinton and the Queen of Sweden as fans, 60-year-old Amitai Kav is one of Israel’s most renowned jewelry designers. His award-winning pieces were chosen to mark the country’s bi-millennium celebrations in 2000. Having toured the world with his precious gems, Kav stops in Shanghai with his students to present the art of jewelry making.
What made you change your career from dance to jewelry design?
Life. I was a dancer in a small Israeli group, while working at an architecture studio. I liked to play with different tools. I’d tear apart radios and pick locks (not that I’d steal anything) and study them. I guess there is truly no reason for the change. It might be that a little spark clicked in me. I couldn’t put it into words, but once you have it, you have it. It’s important to keep this artistic sense in you, or otherwise it goes away. But I started painting when I was a kid. Now, as I see my children and grandchildren, I think there is also something gifted about them. I’d like to think it’s in our genes.
What inspires you as an artist?
Everything. I’m a fan of Impressionism and abstract art from the 19th century, and my father’s biology book gave me a lot to think about. While visiting a museum exhibiting old guns in London, I was fascinated by all the details handmade by blacksmiths. Their exquisite techniques inspired me to make clasps for my jewelry. Different cultures definitely influence my works too. Do you have any projects or collaborations planned in China besides this exhibition? I was invited by a jewelry company based in Shenzhen to design an angel series for them. Though it means balancing my art with sales, I’m still very pleased to have this opportunity.
Is it a challenge to create works that reflect different cultural aesthetics?
Of course they have traditional designs like symbols of the year, whereas classical jewelry designs are more Western style. Honestly, I don’t see so much original Chinese design, but it’s my job to find the gap and crack in. It’s a challenge but I’m up for it. There is one thing that confuses me. I was talking with the person in charge of the production team a couple of days ago, and he was supposed to understand everything in terms of making the jewelry, as well as the production process. But as soon as I presented my sketches, he got lost. He rejected my proposal and claimed that they “couldn’t do it.” With my 50 years of experience in the industry, I had to convince him that it is possible. I can see that they are sometimes afraid of trying new things.
Now becoming a jewelry designer means getting a ticket into the glamorous field of fashion. How do you feel about this?
In my time, our school was called ‘a jewelry department,’ whereas now it’s ‘a jewelry and fashion department.’ I had a lot of arguments with other teachers who were just seeking top-ranking students. But jewelry making is a craft and cannot be rushed. It’s our job as teachers to cultivate their minds. I cannot speak for everyone, but I told my students that a decent jeweler calls for passion and patience more than pure skills.
> Until Mar 30, Froots, Bldg 1, 3/F, 909 Tianyaoqiao Lu, by Zhongshan Nan Er Lu 天钥桥路909号1号楼3层, 近中山南二路
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