Froukje Idsardi

Jewellery maker

©Jaap Oldenkamp

Bringing back silverware

Froukje is influenced by Danish minimalism
Fine, contemporary design is her signature
She studied at the School of Goldsmithing in Schoonhoven

During her high school days, Froukje Idsardi enjoyed handicraft lessons, constructing large copper pieces for her final project. Her teacher recommended that she attend the School of Goldsmithing in Schoonhoven. After completing her training, she gained some work experience in Amsterdam within the Diamond business, eventually studying for a bachelor’s degree in Copenhagen. Denmark exerted a great influence on Froukje’s style, as she fell for the minimal aesthetic that typifies Danish design. Her passion lies with silverwork, she employs the plique à jour piercing technique to create her fine designs. In the past, silverware used to be much in demand, but in recent times it has fallen by the wayside. Froukje’s mission is to bring contemporary silverware back to the dining table.

Interview

©Jaap Oldenkamp

©Jaap Oldenkamp

What are your sources of inspiration?: Architecture, paintings, and structures found in nature. My silverware bowls were inspired by a Golden Age painting that depicts water reeds. I transferred their intertwining shapes onto the dish using the plique à jour piercing technique.
How do you express tradition and innovation in your work?: The bowls I make are spun by a company specialised in this technique and one which is a 100 years old. This saves a lot of time. I reuse old techniques in a new way. Laser cutting is an example of a modern method I use to make paper templates for the final piercings.
What do you love most about your profession?: The fact that I can design and create jewellery and silverware to make others happy, but also that I can fulfill my own ideas, especially when I create larger works. It's personal and it answers a need as an artist.
What is a memorable moment form your career?: I was awarded a silver medal for Master Goldsmith by Queen Margrethe of Denmark and the Ria Overduin prize for a promising young artist back in 1998.

Froukje Idsardi is a master artisan: she began her career in 1992 and she started teaching in 1994