Jytte Kløve

Jewellery maker

©Dorte Krogh

©Niels Meilvang Scanpix

©Dorte Krogh

©Ehrhorn - Hummserston

Jewellery is a feeling

Jytte opened her studio in 1975
She has participated in more than 70 exhibitions worldwide
Every year she publishes a Winter Letter portraying her inspiration and new pieces

Jytte Kløve is one of Denmark’s leading jewellery artists with a long and outstanding career. Her idiom is predominantly sculptural but always functional, taking inspiration from nature as she walks along the river through the wood daily to and from work. Political events and architecture also influence her work; for instance, you can see the Opera House in Sydney by Danish architect Jørn Utzon in her Boat Bracelet. Her studio lies in Lyngby's charming city, half an hour outside Copenhagen. A city for which she designed the Crown Christmas ornaments 26 years ago. Each year in December, the crowns still decorate the streets of Lyngby. Jytte has received numerous awards and accolades throughout her career, and she is represented at Designmuseum Denmark, The Museum of Koldinghus, The Danish Art Foundation and in private collections.

Interview

©Ehrhorn - Hummserston

How did you fall in love with gems and precious metals?: Gems and precious metals run in my veins as my family has dealt with jewellery for generations. I became an apprentice in 1969 and loved every minute of it. I decided to fill my life with precious stones and metal, opening my studio soon after graduation.
Why is jewellery fascinating?: Jewellery is a feeling that occurs in the heart of the creative soul who makes it. When it has a physical form, you might meet each other, and you will feel that it is valuable to live in dialogue with precisely that feeling. I see myself as a communicator of feelings.
What do functionality and aesthetics mean to you?: Both functionality and aesthetics are present in my work. The fact that the ring must fit the hand, right or left, is unavoidable, and my goal is to create small functional sculptures that might not look like jewellery when lying on the table in front of you.
What can a piece of jewellery express?: A piece of handmade jewellery is a piece of art. And just like art, the work attracts new layers of meaning once it leaves the workshop. The jewellery interacts with the person who buys it and creates a meaningful relationship uniting that person with the particular piece.

Jytte Kløve is an expert artisan: she began her career in 1969