Jelena Behrend Explained

Jelena Behrend
Occupation:Jewelry designer
Nationality:American
Birth Place:Serbia
Known For:Hammered chains
Website:https://www.jelenabehrendstudio.com

Jelena Behrend (born 1968[1]) is a Serbian-born American jewelry designer based out of the Lower East Side in New York City. Described as fashion forward by New York (magazine),[2] her hammered pieces have been seen on Hollywood celebrities and in feature films.[3]

Early life and education

Originally a writer from Serbia, Behrend transitioned to jewelry making when she emigrated to the United States in 1988. Unable to pursue a career in writing, she turned to the visual arts to express herself. Having acquired some technical skills when she was younger, Behrend was able to train with a master jeweler in Los Angeles before returning to New York City to open her first studio on Catharine Street. She began by making wholesale jewellery for large department stores and then decided to focus on more personal pieces in 1996. Prior to owning her current namesake studio, she co-owned the Oxygène Collectif atelier with former Wilhelmina model Maria Luisa Mosquera.[1] [4] [5]

Career

Her hand-forged, hand-hammered, and hand-carved jewelry is of Hollywood´s most memorable characters. Behrend is known in fashion circles for her handmade gender blurring jewelry, featured in many magazine layouts[6] [7] and also seen in the film The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.[8] Her pieces have been worn by Madonna, Lenny Kravitz and Gwyneth Paltrow,[9] and are sold in high end boutiques or are custom made. Relying on recycled metals, all of Behrend's work is hand forged using old tools. Her signature pieces are hammered chains that eschew mass-production and were inspired by the jewelry worn by European gypsies.[10] [11]

In 2008 Behrend produced a storefront installation with the artist Lisa Kirk, designed for a special edition of the fragrance Revolution.[12] [13]

Live FAST Magazine describes Behrend's pieces as being raw and edgy, stating that she "..holds true to the purest idea of an artisan".[14] Her technique also reveals a soulful approach to jewelry making. According to Behrend,"My biggest fear is that it is finished. You have to know when to stop. It has to still be alive."[15] In 2011, the Fitzroy Gallery located in Soho, Manhattan paid tribute to Behrend's methodology by exhibiting various videos, assemblages, and photographs regarding her work.[16]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Risky Business. www.villagevoice.com. March 2, 1999 .
  2. Web site: Jelena Behrend Studio. NYMag.com.
  3. News: Abrams . Melanie . His, Hers and Theirs: Jewelry Crosses the Gender Barrier . . November 21, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171121130822/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/21/fashion/jewelry-gender.html . November 21, 2017 . live . February 13, 2018.
  4. Web site: Article May 20, 1999. WWD. Staff. May 20, 1999.
  5. Web site: Studios . Vanity Fair . Artisan Craft: Jelena Behrend Forges Bold Directions in Jewelry . Vanities . December 7, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160112163428/https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2015/12/artisan-craft-jelena-behrend-forges-bold-directions-in-jewelry . January 12, 2016 . live . February 13, 2018.
  6. Web site: Jessica Biel Looks Sexy In White For 'Elle' Magazine!. Hollywood Life. Staff. November 2, 2011.
  7. Web site: Supermodel Carolyn Murphy Redefines Her Role. April 4, 2016.
  8. News: Maurer . Sarah . Jelena Behrend: Made of Metal [later retitled: "Fashion Radar: Q&A With Jelena Behrend"] ]. livefastmag.com . September 13, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120917122255/http://livefastmag.com/2012/09/jelena-behrend-made-of-metal/ . September 17, 2012 . live . February 13, 2018.
  9. Web site: Jelena Behrend Studio . NYMag.com . January 27, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180127143139/http://nymag.com/listings/stores/jelena_behrend_studio/ . January 27, 2018 . live . February 13, 2018.
  10. News: NEW YORKERS & CO.; Custom Jewelry Designed With Help From Gypsies. Alexandra. McGinley. The New York Times . February 7, 1999. NYTimes.com.
  11. Web site: The Advocate. Here. Publishing. June 10, 1997. Here Publishing. Google Books.
  12. Web site: LISA KIRK Revolution! (SmartSpaces). INVISIBLE-EXPORTS. 2019-11-27.
  13. Web site: REVOLUTION PIPE BOMB, Lisa Kirk and Jelena Behrend Artspace.com. Artspace. english. 2019-11-27.
  14. Web site: Live FAST Magazine – The Best of Fashion, Art, Sex and Travel » Fashion Radar: Q&A With Jelena Behrend. Live Fast. Mag. livefastmag.com.
  15. Web site: Artisan Craft: Jelena Behrend Forges Bold Directions in Jewelry. Vanity Fair. Studios. . December 7, 2015 .
  16. Web site: Fitzroy Gallery . fitzroygallery.com . July 19, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120226045100/http://www.fitzroygallery.com/exhibitions/destroyme . February 26, 2012 . live . February 13, 2018.

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