Jewels by Suzanne Syz hosted by Hauser & Wirth

Written by Tom Mayorga Monday, 16 January 2012 20:30

London - Hosted by Hauser & Wirth, the first presentation in the UK devoted to the magical and witty jewellery of the successful and innovative Swiss designer Suzanne Syz, will take place at the gallery of Hauser & Wirth, 3-5 Swallow Street, London W1 (just off Piccadilly) from Thursday 7 June to Friday 22 June 2007.  Born in Zurich and educated in Paris, Suzanne Syz moved to New York in the early 1980s where she married and raised her two children.  She returned to Geneva in the mid-1990s and began designing jewellery, initially because she wanted to create pieces for herself that she could not find anywhere else.  By 2000 she had established a chic jewellery salon in Geneva and before long her list of clients included Elizabeth Taylor, Princess Floria von Hessen, Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis and Archduchess Francesca von Habsburg, who were attracted to Syz’s sense of glamour as well as fun.

Suzanne Syz takes much of her inspiration from the natural forms of flowers and animals, and the magic of the fairy tales of her childhood when she danced various roles in fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm with the Zurich Ballet, including the princess who transformed the frog into a handsome prince with a kiss.  She is also influenced by her time in New York in the 1980s, when she mixed with artists such as Andy Warhol, Jean Michel Basquiat, Julian Schnabel, Francesco Clemente and Jeff Koons, and began collecting contemporary art.  These experiences, combined with a strong feel for color and a sense of whimsy and delight, come together in the creation of her exclusive jewellery.

Syz selects the most colorful gems to create her highly original pieces. Each creation is as unique as the wearer and is never repeated and she makes no more than 50 each year.  She sources the brightly colored stones she favors during her travels around the world, especially to India, Sri Lanka, Burma and Thailand, before overseeing the transformation in the workshops in Geneva.  The resulting jewellery is as international in its creation as it is in its appeal.

Syz’s pieces are designed to be admired from all angles and her attention to detail results in the backs of pieces often being as appealing as the front.  The jewellery moves with the wearer revealing more of its beauty from each angle.  Syz’s designs dazzle and charm.  Diamonds mounted on gold, studded with red rubellite spots are transformed into a toadstool brooch, while chrysoprase is highlighted with garnets and tsavorite to become a Prince Charming frog bracelet and brooch.

Her bejeweled Painter’s Palette earrings are guaranteed to raise a smile as are Girouettes, delightful earrings in the form of children’s toy windmills, while her Life Savers earrings look good enough to eat.  As with many jewellers before her, nature plays its part but Syz goes one step further with her Ice Blue Raspberry earrings and Ariel’s Treasure, the latter being a gold bangle set with no less than 16 different precious and semi-precious stones transformed into sea urchins and a star fish.

 Visitors to High Voltage in the Purple Boudoir exhibition will have the first opportunity in London to acquire a very special piece of unique jewellery created by one of the most talented designers and made to the highest standards of craftsmanship.  Prices range from £5,000 to over £200,000.

Hauser & Wirth Zürich was founded in 1992, while Zwirner & Wirth New York opened in 2000.  Hauser & Wirth London opened its Piccadilly gallery in 2003 in a historic building designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.  The gallery’s temporary East End project space, Coppermill, provides a platform for ambitious large scale projects, while Hauser & Wirth at Colnaghi boasts a magnificent gallery at 15 Old Bond Street.  Visit : www.ghw.ch/