Liv Blåvarp

Bio

Liv Blåvarp (b. 1956, Norway) is a Norwegian contemporary jewellery artist whose sculptural work in wood has gained international recognition.
After studying at the Norwegian College of Art, Crafts and Design in Oslo, where she graduated in 1983, she continued her education at the Royal College of Art in London. During this period, she developed the lamination techniques that would later become central to her artistic practice.

Following her graduation, Liv Blåvarp was among the founding members of TRIKK, an artists' collective established by six graduates from the metalwork department, which provided an important platform for emerging contemporary jewellers in Norway. She remained with the collective until 1986, when she established her independent practice.

Since then, her work has been exhibited internationally and is held in major public collections including LACMA, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design in Oslo, the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, the National Museum of Scotland and the Museum Angewandte Kunst in Frankfurt, among many others. She has received numerous awards, including the Bavarian State Award, the Prince Eugen Medal and the Torsten and Wanja Söderberg Prize.

Statement

Necklaces are dominant human ornaments. The nature of this jewelry embraces the body in a powerful way.

Wood has been at the core of Liv Blåvarp's artistic practice for more than four decades. Chosen for its lightness, tactile qualities and structural possibilities, the material enables her to create sculptural jewellery that balances volume with wearability.

Working primarily with individually carved wooden elements, Blåvarp constructs necklaces and bracelets that move with the body. Flexibility is fundamental to her practice: rather than creating static objects, she develops articulated forms that respond to the wearer's movements, transforming sculpture into a physical experience.

Wearability remains central to her creative process. Each piece is tested on herself and others to ensure that it functions naturally with the body while preserving its sculptural presence.

Inspired by organic structures, growth and rhythm, her work does not seek to imitate nature but to evoke its vitality through form and construction. The relationship between material, movement and the body remains central to her practice, positioning her work at the intersection of sculpture and jewellery.