Most statement jewelry’s reliance on stone as a glaring centerpiece frequently results in accessories that overpower an ensemble. More nuanced designers, stylists, and women everywhere fiddle incessantly with color and proportion to temper this unintended yet no less vexing consequence. But Oblik Atelier by Mia Hebib sets itself apart by restricting the use of stones to give form unfettered scope in expressing limitless beauty. Despite the absence of garish rocks, perhaps even because of it – these are head turning and conversation starting art pieces in miniature.
While hard edged “armor” is thematic of many metal based jewelry, the Oblik Atelier collection is distinguished instead by bold shapes of eloquent grace. Sterling silver and platinum spiral each other to evince depth and dimension. The sinuous folds of brass and plated gold have the appearance of molten caramel, as though they were as supple as fabric, rendering them all the more complementary to garments. This sculptural aesthetic rests on Ms. Hebib’s dedication to the affinity of art and fashion. Having earned a Metals in Jewelry degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design, her exceptional skills are well suited to meeting the creative and technical challenges of bringing applied art’s “wearability” to the fore. Her designs establish fluid and ongoing dialogues between jewelry and the shape of the human body, a solid object and its negative space, rhythm and stillness.
The labor intensive and exacting process of creating these elegant pieces keeps Ms. Hebib consistently at work on multiple endeavors. At present, she is nearing completion of a new ring for her “I Do!” collection of engagement or wedding bands, each custom created in close collaboration with the person commissioning the piece. A project arising out of the tumult of current events is the imminent introduction of “Unity” pins, the proceeds of which will be donated to the ACLU and Planned Parenthood. Next month, Oblik Atelier is participating at the sixth annual “Bijoux!” (March 2-5, 2017) at the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, Florida; as well as at Art Boca Raton (March 15-19, 2017); with a couple more events slated in New York during the summer months.
By Joseph Pastrana
Images courtesy of Oblik Atelier (www.oblik-atelier.com)
