Fausto Melotti

Melotti’s first jewelry pieces are a series of necklaces in glazed ceramic or terracotta that he made for his wife in the 1940s. From 1959, the artist turned to brass and later gold, using the malleability of the materials to create jewelry with slender lines that mirrored his sculptures of the period. These are characterized by curved and spiraling note-like forms that seem to dematerialize in space. The shapes of the jewelry pieces are derived from Melotti’s sculptures—metal grids, curls, ellipses, twisted wires, moons, circles or triangles—that have been transformed into the wearable earrings, pendants or brooches, which are on view in Zurich.

The post-war era saw the emergence of Italian artists who ventured into jewelry design, notably Fausto Melotti and Lucio Fontana. Their exceptional wearable creations reflected their artistic approaches, embodying elegance and autonomy within established jewelry conventions, and placing them in the company of other masters such as Calder and Giacometti. In his 1963 landmark article ‘L’incertezza’ (Uncertainty) in the Italian architecture and design magazine Domus, Melotti identified with the pre-war avant-garde movement’s ethos of questioning fixed artist labels and embracing creative freedom, which he expressed in his diverse media including sculpture, architecture, design, ceramics and jewelry.

Melotti employed a variety of materials—brass, silver, yellow, rose and white gold, precious stones, coral, crystals and diamonds—ranging from the modest to the luxurious, sometimes casting the same piece in different materials. Among the early exhibited works is ‘Grata (Grid)’ (1966), a necklace with a square metal grid pendant designed to move with the wearer’s body, casting ever-changing shadows on the dress and highlighting the elegance, balance and lightness of this modest material. Melotti’s skillful handling of metal wire can be seen in the ‘Arabesco (Arabesque)’ (1966) necklace from the same year, which features a chest piece made of neatly woven yellow gold wires—an elegant method of draping materials directly onto the body.

‘Collana (Necklace),’ (1978), a delicate yellow gold and lapis lazuli necklace with matching earrings, or the earlier leaf necklace of the same name, made of soldered brass in 1971, employ more organic structures. The latter is reminiscent of a large crown to be worn on the chest and recalls the leaves in the sculpture ‘Alberello (Little Tree),’ (1965). A subtle vein of irony can be found as well in some of the other later jewelry pieces, such as the necklace ‘Route (Wheels)’ (1984), which evokes a complex intertwining of two-dimensional wheels and comes with matching earrings.

‘Fausto Melotti. Jewelry’ is on view now through 23 March 2024 at Hauser & Wirth Zurich, Bahnhofstrasse. Please visit our location page to plan your visit.