Jewelry designer fuses cultures
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Gold and silver, gems from Brazil, bead work from Africa and jade from China are used by French jewelry designer Helene Dumenil to forge dramatic, one-of-a kind works. Nie Xin reports.
![French jewelry designer Helene Dumenil works at her studio in Shanghai. Dumenil's works often have African influence. [Shanghai Daily]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20110216/00114320def10ec5761c07.jpg "French jewelry designer Helene Dumenil works at her studio in Shanghai. Dumenil's works often have African influence. [Shanghai Daily]") |
| French jewelry designer Helene Dumenil works at her studio in Shanghai. Dumenil's works often have African influence. [Shanghai Daily] |
French jewelry designer Helene Dumenil draws on her travels around the world to create striking, finely crafted ornaments that combine world cultures.
Many creations are bold, dramatic and chunky, while others are more delicate. She uses gold, silver, precious stones, glass beads, wood and jade and motifs from around the world. Her latest work is a necklace combining precious stones from Brazil, wood from Africa and jade from China.
Dumenil arrived in Shanghai two and a half years ago after completing a 10-month trip to Atlantic coastal nations in Africa and South America. She first visited China five years ago when she toured Shanghai, Beijing and Guilin in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
Speaking French, Italian and English, Dumenil lived for many years in Africa, including Mali, the Ivory Coast and Madagascar.
Her works are free-form, combining workmanship, themes and materials from places as distinctive as West Africa, Turkey and Italy.
Dumenil opened her jewelry studio in an old neighborhood on Changshu Road. She forges the works herself.
"The two most important things in my life are travel and creativity," says Dumenil, who wears her own dramatic jewelry. "When I travel, I am good at finding the exciting sides of places I visit and I get inspirations for my creations from my trips."
Beginning almost 20 years ago, Dumenil forged her own style by combining modern professional techniques and metal working skills with materials such as traditional African bead work.
She tirelessly explores markets, crafts shops, gold and silver smiths studios and traditional jewelers.
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