Spotlight by Etsuko Sonobe

Artist list

Etsuko Sonobe

The elegant and spare work of Etsuko Sonobe is full of simplicity and order. Her highly linear and geometric forms enhance the beauty of her semi-precious stone constructions. Etsuko was the recipient of the Diamonds International Award in 1983, and has participated in numerous exhibitions including a 1983 exhibit in the Schmuckmuseum, Pforzheim, a 1984 exhibit at the National Museum of Modern Art in Kyoto, Japan, and an exhibition in 1990 at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris.

“I think the simpler the constituent element is, the greater the surprise of shape and function that can be expected. The ring in particular is one of the most attractive items for me to draw forth, the formative process allowing expression of thickness in addition to height and width. I have been making jewelry using semi-precious stones in the last few years. When setting a stone, I always intend for it to be indispensable design-wise as well as function-wise. I believe being free from a fixed idea is important to producing new jewelry with enjoyment.”
- Etsuko Sonobe