Rembrandt Jordan

Jewellery maker

©Johan Blommaert

©Rembrandt Jordan

©Tim Van de Velde

©Johan Blommaert

Sculptural jewellery

Rembrandt works with noble materials
He seeks to make invisible spaces visible
He embraces imperfections

After finishing his training at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Rembrandt Jordan continued his studies at the Royal College of Art in London. During these years, masters such as Jean Lemmens, David Watkins and Michael Rowe trained him as a woodworker, musician, sculptor and silversmith. When he opened his gallery in 2006, he downsized the dimension of his creations into jewellery. “I consider myself as a sculptor who likes to play with duality, rhythm and scale. Miniature sculptures serve as jewellery, whilst large works lend a sense of rhythm to a wall. I’m fascinated by making the invisible space visible, and revealing the energy of spaces. Doing so, I create a new kind of space.”

Interview

©Johan Blommaert

©Johan Blommaert

Is your craft related to Antwerp?: As Antwerp is the global diamond centre, I like to work with natural, noble materials. For a few years I have collaborated with a German artisan to grind my own stones into unique shapes. As I’m interested in the invisible, I love their energy transmitting qualities.
What does well made mean to you?: A jewel needs to be technically perfect. Moreover even the more sculptural creations need to be wearable, as the person becomes part of the installation. I strive towards an integrated approach to objects and their surroundings.
Why is technique so important?: With modern techniques such as 3D printing less people master the traditional ones, while they are important to fully understand the material. Besides some techniques, such as the age-old micro granulating, are impossible to imitate with machines.
What is the power of craftsmanship?: Although the elements of my jewellery may appear uniform, I don’t hide discrete traces of the handiwork. On the contrary, they are subtle signatures to make each of my one-of-a-kind pieces perfectly imperfect.

Rembrandt Jordan is an expert artisan: he began his career in 1998