NISA CHEVÈNEMENT
35 years of Artist Jewelry Creations
NISA CHEVÈNEMENT
35 years of Artist Jewelry Creations
We are deeply grateful to Tatiana Trouvé, whose generous introduction to the artist made this exhibition possible. Her trust and support were instrumental in bringing this project to life.
If NISA CHEVÈNEMENT
expands her work as a sculptor to devote herself to jewelry creation, it is to engage with the body as closely as possible — that sensitive territory where art becomes ornament without mediation. Here, the body is both subject and object, a space of expression and resonance, where material harmonizes with the skin, the breath, and movement.
Pendants, necklaces, rings, bracelets: each piece is born from the same patient gesture as sculpture, worked, chiseled, and patinated like bronze. One can recognize Nisa’s hand in each work — a hand that shapes matter to reveal the memory of humanity: an humanity of origins, of ancient civilizations, of genesis and the sacred. In every jewel, the woman becomes mediator, bearer, and transmitter of an immemorial heritage.
A profound complicity arises between sculptures and jewelry. A detail of form, a tension of volume, a surface gleam can whisper the idea of a jewel; the transformation then becomes a necessity. The reverse path, however, remains rare. Working in lost-wax — a technique common to both practices — Nisa weaves an intimate dialogue between sculpture and ornament, between the permanence of bronze and the lightness of the body.
Resolutely sensual and feminine, her work is imbued with the breath of the Orient, echoing her Egyptian origins. In her creations, the ancient gesture of the sculptor meets the grace of jewelry, and art, transformed into adornment, regains its sacred dimension.
Biography
Born in Cairo in 1944, Nisa Chevènement grew up there before moving to Paris in 1965. Alongside a career as a psychologist, she has devoted herself to painting and sculpture — a passion that has inspired her since childhood. Her work has been exhibited widely in France and abroad, and is included in collections in Greece, Switzerland, Mexico, China, and the United States. She was awarded the Grand Prix de Sculpture from the Fondation Taylor in 2009, and in 2010 received both the Bronze Prize of the Artistes Français and the Honorary Sculpture Prize from the ADAGP
I
THE ART OF JEWELRY ACCORDING TO NISA CHEVÈNEMENT
Where does your interest in jewelry as an artistic medium come from? And how did you come to create your own pieces?
My interest in jewelry goes back a long way: humans have been making it since the dawn of time. What moves me are not the pieces of high jewelry, but those that have a soul — imbued with culture, tradition, and living craftsmanship. When I turned to sculpture, I never imagined that one day I would create my own jewelry, in harmony with who I am.
A cousin of mine, the sculptor Céline Chalem, later gave me the keys to find a small foundry and skilled artisans capable of realizing the pieces.
What, in your view, distinguishes an artist’s jewel from a traditional one?
An artist’s jewel bears the trace of the hand; it retains a certain energy, a uniqueness. Fine jewelry is more about technical mastery, working with materials and precious stones, and exceptional craftsmanship. An artist’s jewel does not need to follow fashion or try to stand out: it does so by nature.
Your jewelry sits between sculpture and ornament. How do you perceive this connection?
For me, a jewel is neither a miniature sculpture nor a standalone work of art. It simply becomes jewelry. In my view, the essence of the artwork lies in the sculpture itself — it is there that I embody my thought and intention. I start from a fragment, an element that suggests a piece of jewelry to me. A jewel that comes to life upon contact with the body — it should be light, pleasant to wear, and perfectly fitting. This constraint doesn’t exist in sculpture, which occupies its own space. And when I see my pieces worn by others, it brings me joy: each wearer gives them a different presence, almost a living extension of my gesture.
ENTRETIEN L’ART DU BIJOU SELON NISA CHEVÈNEMENT
D’où vient votre intérêt pour le bijou comme médium artistique ? Qu’est-ce qui vous a donné envie d’en créer vous-même ?
Mon intérêt pour le bijou remonte à très loin : les humains en fabriquent depuis la nuit des temps. Ce qui me touche, ce ne sont pas les bijoux de joaillerie, mais ceux qui ont une âme — empreints de culture, de traditions, et d’un artisanat vivant. En me tournant vers la sculpture, je n’imaginais pas que je pourrais un jour créer mes propres bijoux, en adéquation avec ce que je suis. Une cousine sculptrice, Céline Chalem, m’a ensuite donné les clés pour trouver une petite fonderie et des artisans capables de monter les pièces.
Qu’est-ce qui différencie, selon vous, un bijou d’artiste d’un bijou traditionnel ?
Le bijou d’artiste porte la trace de la main, il conserve une forme d’énergie, de singularité. Le bijou de joaillerie relève davantage de la prouesse technique, d’un travail avec des matières et des pierres précieuses et d’une excellence artisanale. Le bijou d’artiste n’a pas besoin de suivre la mode ni de chercher à se différencier : il l’est par essence.
Your creations are very much defined by material. How does a piece come to life?
Wax is my material of choice: malleable, it opens up infinite possibilities. It was already at the origin of my sculptures. It allows for incredible precision and lightness, which perfectly match the sense of movement I like to give my jewelry. The choice of material is essential: for the sculptures, bronze, with its ancient soul and strength, gives my pieces a sense of timelessness. In steel, iron, or resin, they would not convey the same message. The techniques are very similar to sculpture: I model the object directly in wax before it is cast by a foundryman, followed by casting, chiseling, and gilding. It’s a complex but wonderful process, full of possibilities, where each step is guided by what I wish to express.
What are your sources of inspiration?
My work is deeply personal. Some ideas or visions cannot find their words, but they can take form through sculpture. From the very beginning, I have taken the female body as both subject and object. Through it, I have been able to reach the universal and the idea of transmission. The female
body seemed to me the most capable of embodying humanity as a whole.
The history of humanity — its forms, its symbols, its traces — is an endless source of inspiration. These forms, drawn from fragments of my sculptures, speak of the human condition — of its fragility, its impulse, its longing for permanence.
Do your jewels contain a part of yourself?
My jewelry naturally reflects my world, of course, but I would say that it is my sculpture that serves as my self-portrait.
Vos bijoux se situent entre sculpture et ornement. Comment percevez-vous ce lien ?
Pour moi, un bijou n’est ni une sculpture miniature ni une œuvre à part entière. Il devient bijou, tout simplement. L’œuvre se trouve dans la sculpture — c’est là que je dépose une pensée, une intention. Je pars d’un fragment, d’un élément qui me suggère un bijou. Bijou qui prend vie au contact du corps : il doit être léger, agréable à porter, seyant. Cette contrainte n’existe pas dans la sculpture qui s’installe dans un espace. Quand je vois mes bijoux portés par d’autres, c’est un plaisir : chacun leur donne une présence différente, presque un prolongement vivant de mon geste.
Vos créations sont très marquées par la matière, comment naît une pièce ?
La cire est ma matière de prédilection : malléable, elle s’ouvre à d’infinies possibilités. Elle est déjà à l’origine de mes sculptures. Elle permet une précision, une légèreté incroyable qui correspond au mouvement que j’aime imprimer à mes bijoux. Le choix du matériau est essentiel : le bronze, porteur d’une âme et d’une force anciennes, confère à mes pièces une forme d’intemporalité. En acier, en fer ou en résine, elles ne diraient pas la même chose.
Les procédés sont très proches de la sculpture : je modèle directement l’objet en cire, avant qu’il ne soit moulé par un fondeur, puis viennent la fonte, le ciselage et la dorure. C’est un processus complexe mais merveilleux, plein de possibles, où chaque étape reste guidée par ce que je souhaite exprimer.
Quelles sont vos sources d’inspiration ?
Ma création est profondément personnelle. Certaines idées ou visions ne trouvent pas leurs mots, mais elles peuvent s’incarner dans la sculpture. Dès mes débuts, j’ai pris le corps féminin comme sujet et objet. C’est à travers lui que j’ai pu toucher à l’universel et à la transmission. Le corps de la femme me semblait le plus apte à incarner l’humanité tout entière.L’histoire de l’humanité, ses formes, ses symboles, ses traces sont une source inépuisable d’inspiration. Ces formes, inspirées de fragments de mes sculptures, racontent quelque chose de l’humain — de sa fragilité, de son élan, de sa quête de permanence.
Vos bijoux contiennent-ils une part de vous-même ?
Mes bijoux reflètent mon univers, bien sûr, mais je dirais que c’est ma sculpture qui tient lieu d’autoportrait. - - -
| .022
“Nuage”
Gold-plated brass
H 9,8 x 4,5 l 12 gr
Edtion of 25
2012 1.750€
| .036
“Lilith” pendant
Composition with six interlocking figures
36 g H 4.7 cm
1.250 €
Gold-plated brass 121 gr 103 cm Edition of 25 2024
“Hieroglyphs” necklace
| .096
“Lilith” neckring
Gold-plated brass
Ediiton of 25
2013
1.800 €
| .03
“Lilith”
Large sautoir necklace
Gold-plated brass
262 gr
118 cm
Edition of 25 2012 - 2020
2.600€
| .04
“Cravatte” pendant Gold-plated brass 99 gr
pendant : 14 x 5,5 cm
Unique 2012
2.250€
| .05
“Heart” necklace
Gold-plated brass
220 gr
44 cm
Edition of 25 1995
1.850 €
| .06
7
6,8
Edition of 25 1995 - 2000
1.650 €
“Pectoral” necklace Gold-plated brass 92 gr
x
cm
“Anthropomorphes”
Neckring in collaboration with Zolotas (a renowned jewelry house founded in Athens in 1895)
Gold-plated brass
134 gr
inner circonfernece : 30 cm
Limited editon of 10
2009
2.500 €
”Tower” pendant Silver 39 gr
6,7 x 1,8 x 1,8 Edition of 25 2025
1.750€
| .09
“Tower” pendant Gold-plated brass 37 gr
6,7 x 1,8 x 1,8 Edition of 25 2025
1.750€
| .010
“La Chevauchée” (the ride)
Gold-plated brass
75 gr
Inner circonfernece : 14cm Edition of 25 2012
1.950 €
“La Chevauchée” (the ride)
Silver
82 gr
Inner circonfernece : 14cm
Edition of 25 2012
1.950€
“L’Enlèvement des Sabines”
| .013
“Casas” ring
Silver 13 gr Size 53
Edition of 50 2025 950€
| .016
“Impression”
Gold-plated brass cuff bracelet
84 gr
H 5,4 cm
Edition of 50 2025 1.500 €
| .093
“Ecorce” Silver bracelet Edtion of 50 2010
1.200 €
| .017
“Tourbillon”
Gold-plated brass ring
14 gr
Size 55 (Ring can be resized)
Unique 2020 1.200€
.018
ring 18ct gold and silver ring In collaboration with Zolotas (a renowned jewelry house founded in Athens in 1895) 12 gr Size 53
Editon of 50 2009
1.200€
“Chevauchée” ring
Gold-plated brass 15 gr
Size 53
Ediiton of 50 2019 950€
“Grande Manchette” cuff bracelet
Gold-plated brass
105 gr
L 8 cm
Inner circonfernece : 16 cm
Edition of 50 2012
1.850€
| .092
Cuff bracelet
Gold-plated brass
Ediiton of 50
| .28
“Arum” ring
Gold-plated brass and coral 35 gr
Size 54
Unique in the serie 1995 1.200€
| .21
“Arum” ring
Gold-plated brass 28 gr
Size 53
Unique in the serie 1995
1.200€
| .023
Long pectoral necklace
Gold-plated brass
111 gr
Pendant 15 x 5,5 cm
Edition of 25 1995
2.200 €
| .025
127 gr
Limited edition of 10 1997
2.400€
“Barbe Bleue” necklace Gold-plated brass
“Eventail “ ring Gold-plated brass 48 gr
Limitd edition of 10 1995
ring Gold-plated brass and coral 16 gr
Size : 55 (ring can be resized)
| .029
“Flower” ring
Gold-plated brass and pearl 16 Gr
Size 56 (ring can be resized)
Unique 1995 1.200€
“Tisser le temps » pendant
In collaboration with Zolotas (a renowned jewelry house founded in Athens in 1895)
Edition of 75
| .034
Silver necklace with long figurative pendant 21 gr pendant : 13,5 cm
Edition of 25 2017
1.650 €
| .035
“Empreinte” pendant
Polished brass
Edition of 10 2023
1.650 €
| .062 “Chevauchée” Silver ring 14,9 gr
Size 54 (ring can be resized)
Edition of 50 2019 950 €
| .063
Articulated square ring in collaboration with Zolotas (a renowned jewelry house founded in Athens in 1895)
Gold-plated silver 11 gr
Size 55/56
Ediiton of 25 2009
1.200€
