Oscar Abba-Bijoux Contemporains

Oscar Abba-Bijoux Contemporains

Oscar Abba’s work as a whole has an incredibly fluid feel to it. In this collection he has done two bracelets and a brooch, each made of silver and each with a title befitting the air and look of each piece. The bracelets and titled ‘Folds 2011’ and ‘Folds II 2011’ where as the brooch is titled ‘Liquids II 2007’. Although his pieces look as though they may be constructed out of tin, aluminum or some scrap metal, he has chosen to construct his pieces out of silver which is a ‘fine metal’ and so adds a certain higher quality to his work.

He shapes and forms of the ‘folded’ metal are organic and flowing. Although his pieces have and edgy look, each piece is quite soft on the eye, this is achieved by his use of soft, rippling curves and lack of sharp edges as well as the negative space in the pieces. The metal thicknesses vary and further emphasize the organic, natural feel of the pieces.

The way that the light reflects and bounces off each piece is softened and isn’t so intense and this he has achieved by adding a brushed metal texture to his metal. Each piece resembles the silkiness of folded ribbons but in contrast have a raw finish to them, for example the solder seams and edges aren’t polished and cleaned up.

The negative shapes and space of the pieces are very much as important as the positive space. The negative space implies a delicateness of the jewellery but the thickness of the metal used adds a definite boldness to the pieces as well. There is again a stark contrast in the collection as even though the pieces are not geometric and look organic; the overall execution of the pieces has a very prominent ‘manufactured’ feel. There is no obvious symmetry to the pieces, nor uniformity but there is a repetition of the same general folded form.