Paying Homage to the Islands of the Caribbean
New York, NY December 1, 2018 Sevan Bıçakçı is answering the call of the islands with a new jewelry collection aptly named Colección Paraiso. Bıçakçı’s recent travel to the Caribbean Islands has served as the inspiration for his first collection based on a location outside of Istanbul. For the marriage of his dear friend Riza Tansu and Yaima Ortiz, Sevan took his first trip to the bride’s beloved homeland of Cuba. The country left him dreaming in vivid color. Launching at Art Basel in Design Miami in December, Sevan Bıçakçı’s Colección Paraiso includes 50 one-of-a-kind pieces of inversely carved gemstone jewelry reflecting the vibrant imagery and beauty found within various Caribbean islands.
Born in Cuba, Yaimi Ortiz has become Sevan Bıçakçı’s muse for this colorful collection. Ortiz showed Sevan areas of Old Havana which reflect an era reminiscent of the 50’s with old cars and white sheets drying over balconies. Sevan was captivated by the flora and fauna, walking down side streets, listening to exotic birds and the people passing by. Many of the following points of inspiration have been captured in intaglio carvings and paintings to pay homeage to their name and place in the island’s iconic culture: Cayo Coco, the hibiscus (Mar Pacifico), Queen of the Sea – (Reina de los Mares), Prima Ballerina Alícia Alonso, the Quetzal, Boca del Toro (in Panama) and Celia Cruz. The Colección Paraiso collection will debut at the Sevan Bıçakçı booth at Design Miami/ from December 5-9, 2018. For dates and times: http://miami2018.designmiami.com/ .
2018 will prove to be an epic year for the designer as Sevan Bıçakçı’s Timepiece Collection will also launch in the United States on December 1st. In tandem with the launch of this new category of collectibles comes his second book with Assouline, Sevan Bıçakçı: The Timekeeper. For sale at Assouline bookstores and select retailers in December, this second book is written by jewelry historian Vivienne Becker, award-winning journalist and author (who wrote Sevan’s first book in 2014).
Sevan and his team continue to celebrate the documentary, Sevan the Craftsman: Breathing Istanbul Into Jewels, directed by Umran Safter, which tells the story of Sevan’s life. The film is currently being shown in film festivals worldwide.
Both of Sevan’s new collections will be sold exclusively at the Sevan Bıçakçı Miami boutique. Located just above the Buckminster Fuller Fly’s Eye Dome in Palm Court of Miami Design District, the boutique is open Monday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and Sundays from Noon to 6 p.m.
