Designers on Jewellery

The Dutch jewellery label "Chi ha paura...?', founded in 1996 by Gijs Bakker, celebrated its twelfth birthday in 2008. To commemorate that occasion, this book represents a first retrospective of all 74 objects produced to date: from the first works dating from 1996 through the subsequent themed collections "Sense of Wonder" (2002), "What's Luxury" (2004) and "Rituals" (2007). "Chi ha paura...?" stands for innovative editions in designer jewellery as well as novel materials and production techniques. "All Chi ha paura...?" pieces are based on a conceptual take on jewellery, according to which the idea determines the value of a piece and not - as in conventional jewellery - the material used. Among these pieces are classic designs by Gijs Bakker and Emmy van Leersum, biomorphic designs by the Australian product designer Marc Newson and curiosities such as Ron Arad's text bangle 'not made by hand, not made in China', produced with the aid of rapid prototyping in 2002. "The Chi ha paura...?" collection also includes Frank Tjepkema's award-winning cruciform pendant "Bling, Bling" and Marcel Wanders' gold "Nose", which has become the logo of his design studio.
In twelve years, a total of 51 designers from 13 countries have designed jewellery for "Chi ha paura...?" designers include: Ron Arad (UK); Gijs Bakker (the Netherlands); Onno Boekhoudt (the Netherlands); Frederic Braham (France); Warwick Freeman (New Zealand);Konstantin Grcic (Germany); Esther Knobel (Israel); Otto Kunzli (Germany); Emmy van Leersum (the Netherlands); Ted Noten (the Netherlands); Ruudt Peters (the Netherlands); Katja Prins (the Netherlands); Peter Skubic (Austria); and, Christoph Zellweger (Switzerland).