Reinventing Nature by Terhi Tolvanen

Artist list

Terhi Tolvanen

This retrospective of the Finnish artist Terhi Tolvanen is part of the exhibition The Force of Nature. Visual artist and jewellery designer Terhi Tolvanen has been a pioneer of a new and original use of nature in the contemporary (author’s) jewel since 2000. Tolvanen sometimes literally uses branches and gems in her work. By doing so, she searches for new aesthetic possibilities without succumbing to noncommittal sweetness. This jewellery is both suggestive and poetic.

What makes Tolvanen’s work special is her attention to detail, technical refinement, and her understanding of the practical demands jewels make. A striking feature of her jewellery is that the hand of man is always present in a natural, logical way. By this, she shows that, with attention and scrupulousness, culture and nature can reach great heights together.

A recent series of jewels is based on the art collections of the seventeenth century, in which amazement and astonishment about nature formed the basis. These jewels are part of Reinventing Nature. This is the first exhibition to bring together all the jewellery Terhi Tolvanen made over the past fifteen years. In addition, some of her earlier work will be shown. The pieces CODA has on loan for this exhibition come from all over the world, including two prominent American private collections.