Aline Kokinopoulos

Jewellery maker

©Stelo394

Wearable dreams

Aline works on her jewellery pieces as though they were sculptures
She received the prestigious French Master of Art award in 2023
She opened her own workshop in 1990

Aline Kokinopoulos' jewels reflect her rich cultural heritage. Born of a French mother and a Greek father, she grew up in Senegal, where her passion for jewellery originated. “I used to walk past a Tuareg market of jewellers and blacksmiths. I was amazed by their rudimentary way of working metal and making rings and adornments.” It is this sense of wonder that has inspired her career. From her childhood in Africa, she then moved to France to study jewellery making, learning the craft through a multidisciplinary approach. Architecture, flowers, and the Mediterranean are the themes that animate Aline's vibrant jewellery creations. She works silver into voluminous, sculptural shapes that she embellishes with coloured stones, turning her pieces into beautiful ornaments.

Interview

©Stelo394

©Stelo394

What is the main inspiration behind your jewellery?: I first worked a lot with wooden, ethnic jewellery – I loved it. One day, I came across a Jewish wedding ring that was shaped like a house, a house that you wear. As someone who does not really know where I come from, this idea really spoke to me. Since then, I have liked to work on places I have been to, or dreamt about.
Does the notion of territory have a special meaning for you?: Born in Africa, from Greek and French parents, territory remains a very vague term to me. But for a few years now, I have turned towards my roots, to Greek jewellers; I see a lot of similarities with my work. Voluminous, colourful jewels, very Mediterranean.
How would you define your pieces of jewellery?: Wearable dreams. I want people to have stars in their eyes with my jewellery. The most rewarding thing is to see that my customers are wearing the jewellery, that they are nourished by it. I create lots of different collections, so people always find something to their taste.
What role does tradition play in your approach to your craft?: If you took me back 100 years, I would still be able to make jewellery with the tools of the time. I do sand casting, I melt my ingots, and so on. I am rooted in tradition: cutting metal, stamping it. Making a piece of jewellery from start to finish is the most important thing to me.

Aline Kokinopoulos is a master artisan: she began her career in 1988 and she started teaching in 2006