The Finnish company Lapponia Jewelry, founded in
1960 by Pekka Anttila, is well known for artistic and sculptural designs.
Highly original and often with names that leed the thought to times and
places in between history and old sagas or dreams, the designs speak to
the subconcious and seem to be related to magic amulets or primitive tribe
jewelry - only with a futuristic form language. Designers such as Björn
Weckström, Poul Havgaard and Zoltan Popovits have created series
of jewelry that are today considered highly collectible as well as a personal
statement when worn.
Zoltan Popovits is Hungarian by birth. He studied architecture and art
in the USA, at the University of Colorado and Kansas City Art Institute,
and came to Finland on a Fulbright scholarship at the Finnish Academy
of Art in 1965. After working with sculpture and ceramics, on his own
and with the renowned Arabia ceramics factory (1969-71), he came to work
as a designer for Lapponia in 1975.
The metal in Popovits jewelry seemes folded, and draws the thoughts
to origami, Japanese paper folding art. This is also the name of his 2000
collection. His first jewelry series was launched in 1978. The kinetic
drop shaped earrings 'Calliope' with organic plant like design are typical
of this series. In the 1980's the lines became more flowing and the proportions
grew lager. Influences from the Art nouveau era were melted into the wellknown
Lapponia look created by Björn Weckström.
Like Weckström, Popvits has also been interested in combining different
materials in new ways. The use of contrasting black is one of Zoltan Popovits
traits, starting in 1981 with combining silver with Ebony and later from
1984 gold with black Onyx, often combined with Opales, Diamonds and Pearls.
With the pieces of wood and the Onyx, cut in unique shapes by the German
Dieter Lorenz, Popovits fascination in the expressiveness of primitive
jewelry becomes clear. In the magic of nature and its spirits he seeks
individuality and meaning that can connect the piece of jewerly to it's
wearer.
|
'Calliope' earrings,
silver, 1978.
Ring,
silver with ebony, 1980s.
Pendant, 'New Fire' series,
gold, black Onyx and Opale, 1989.
'Electra' ring,
silver, 1980s.
|
