Thierry Bontridder Sculptor of jewels

The temporary exhibition, presented as part the 30th anniversary celebrations of the Silverware Museum of the French Community of Belgium, shines the spotlight on contemporary jewellery designer Thierry Bontridder (born in Brussels in 1956) and looks at his creative journey at the interface between sculpture and jewellery.

Our museum both highlights the creative work of contemporary artistic silversmiths and documents the development of the techniques used in this field. Through the discoveries and artistic encounters it makes possible, it reaches out to every audience and offers an alternative take on art and culture.

This exhibition explores the function of jewellery, both contemporary and historical, and its status and role – aesthetic, ethical, cultural, societal, precious or otherwise – in the wider community to which it belongs.

A hands-on area for families and children, an app to find out more and a ‘person on the street’ approach to jewellery add an extra something to the exhibition.

Thierry Bontridder: Jewellery sculptor

Technical rigour, simple and clean geometrical forms and the interplay of light between transparency and opacity are key to this designer’s work.

He plays with the blowtorch in the same way as a painter with a palette of colours. He works with unusual materials such as acrylic glass, corian, boxwood and coloured glass, as the inspiration and his evolving art take him. His signature material, though, is titanium. The assemblage is a vital step in the final process of imparting subtle motion to the jewellery.

Technical rigour creates a poetry of pure forms in which the materials are elevated to sublimity.

Like other creators of contemporary jewellery, Thierry Bontridder rides rough-shod over the conventions of traditional jewellery, placing emphasis on the innovation exemplified by these ‘micro-sculptures’.

If you are a grass-roots actor with your finger on the pulse of society, the museum may be interested in a joint project with you.