ALICE CICOLINI
BOLD CREATIVE COLOUR PIONEER
TRANSLATING A CREATIVE INTENTION: It’s always an important part of my process to get to know someone on a deeper level, to really engage with what a client is hoping to achieve, so that I can build a strong visual language which can evolve with every commission.
Getting to know Alice through a series of conversations and questions, observing what was important to her in the way she works, it was clear she already had a strong visual direction.
I saw my role as her creative translator, amplifying the vision that was already established in the world of the brand, and each of the pieces Alice creates, bringing the refinement and visual clarity of my aesthetic to the project.
My role was facilitating her vision to grow, bringing my creative skills to the table as a collaborator, rather than imposing what might have felt like an external aesthetic within her colour-filled landscape.
I am really inspired by pattern and colour, and the opulence and restraint that you can play with using both these tools. I like to think I am building a tribe of colour enthusiasts around my work who share this passion. I also like to mix my sources of inspiration together in a way that suggests new relationships that might not have been immediately obvious to the observer.
I’ve always been draw by magical realism, the overlay of fantastical ideas into the every day. This idea of the magic, the poetry in life has been a defining source of inspiration for me and storytelling is so central to the expression of that.
DRAWN BY MAGICAL REALISM
I’m inspired by beauty and superlative craftsmanship and I want to tell the story of why these things are important for our culture and our soul.
For myself, my work is my poetry, my pleasure, an expression of my femininity and playfulness. I’ve read countless fairy tales as a child and as an adult, dark & light, Western & Eastern, and that all consuming magic finds its way into my work too I hope…
COLLECTION ONE: HOMO FABER
Homo Faber is an exhibition that celebrates superlative craftsmanship; the 2022 edition opened in Venice on April 10th and ran until May 1st. Alice was honoured to have been invited by renowned exhibition maker Judith Clark to produce a piece inspired by Alice’s love of Japanese kimono, obi and miniature painting. The result is the Obi Wrapping Ring, a piece which celebrates the great craft skill of her London-based makers. I explored the idea of creating wrapping garments from paper, with sleeves and sashes echoing the nature of Alice’s inspiration.
COLLECTION TWO: SARI
The Sari collection is inspired by the myriad patterns, weaves and colours of India's iconic 5 yard length of fabric. Within its dimensions, the sari holds so much symbolism; a marker of national and regional identity, different patterns and weaves can also be worn to mark the passing of the seasons, and the wrapping style indicating what traditions of work the wearer might come from.
This collection has been inspired by the subtleties of colour combination, the juxtaposition of matte and high shine surfaces created by woven gold in the saris of Benares and Kerala, the balance of transparency and opacity in the Jamdani style and the particular graphic rendering of temples and birds from the saris of Odisha. Alice has deployed elements of the granulation technique, established in Greece but carried to India by Alexander the Great and reimagined in the Indian style. She has also created a new enamel technique for the collection, introducing the first rendering of the marbling technique in lacquer.
COLLECTION THREE: DOVER STREET MARKET
Neon Tile revisits the original shape Silver Tile rings in an exclusive collaboration with Dover Street Market London. Neon Tile pieces are all one of a kind in vibrant shades of neon enamel, whilst the Candy Lacquer band styles have become a new mainstay for the brand. In celebration of a decade since the launch of the Candy Band, Alice has relaunched the style in a new set of graduating colourways with neon highlights.
COLLECTION FOUR: BESPOKE
Alice offers a series of ways in which clients can commission pieces, from creating new jewels from heirloom stones to cutting stones specifically to realise new designs; incorporating client’s metals into a new piece, to casting with Fairtrade metals; finally, clients can engage with her made-to-measure service, exploring new stones and colourways to order within existing collections.
Alice Cicolini’s practice is rooted in mastercraftsmanship, both here in London and in Jaipur. Her network of practitioners in both of these vibrant centres for fine jewellery give her a unique opportunity to provide clients with access to sublime craftsmanship, guided by her signature ability to draw out the best of each of these stylistic and making traditions.
CONNECT WITH ALICE
Alice’s pieces can be found in respected independent jewellery and multi brand stores internationally - from Liberty London, to Twist in Portland, and August in LA. You can buy directly from the brand at www.alicecicolini.com or contact rossella@alicecicolini.com for enquiries or bespoke projects.
Directing and visually strategising for Alice Cicolini is a great exploration for STUDIO MARVELRY