Please join us for a special Show & Tell evening with Didier and Martine Haspeslagh of Didier Ltd, the Kensington gallery that specialises in artistic jewellery created by internationally recognised painters, sculptors, architects and designers of the second half of the twentieth century.

For this event, they have selected 35 rings centred around Martine's personal collection of rings. These pieces reveal how artists known for sculpture, painting and architecture explored jewellery as a more intimate form of expression, translating their ideas into small-scale wearable works.

Many of the rings are created using non-precious materials such as plastics, silver and other experimental media. These artists approached jewellery with the same inventive thinking found in their larger works, often experimenting with movement, structure, colour and material.

At a time when rising precious metal prices are encouraging designers to reconsider alternative materials, these rings feel particularly relevant. They demonstrate that creativity, concept and design can produce powerful jewellery without relying on costly materials.

Guests will have the rare opportunity to see and handle these remarkable rings up close while hearing the stories behind them and the artists who created them.

Who are Didier?

Didier Ltd is run by Didier and Martine Haspeslagh and is based in Kensington, London. Founded in 2006, the gallery focuses on artistic jewellery designed by leading artists and designers from the second half of the twentieth century.

The gallery is distinctive for specialising in jewellery created by painters, sculptors, architects and designers who are internationally recognised for their work in other disciplines. Their jewellery is often less documented than their paintings or sculptures, yet it offers a fascinating insight into their artistic thinking.

Many of these pieces were created as personal projects, gifts for friends and family, or produced in small editions. They can be understood as miniature sculptures — intimate works that translate artistic ideas into wearable form

What will I see?

Didier and Martine will present a curated selection of 35 rings drawn from Martine’s personal collection. Each piece reflects a different artistic approach, material or conceptual idea.

The collection includes kinetic rings with moving elements, rings made from plastics and experimental materials in addition to the more expected gold, sculptural silver designs, optical rings that play with perception, and pieces inspired by architectural structure.

Together these works demonstrate the breadth of artistic jewellery in the twentieth century and how artists used jewellery as a space for experimentation, testing ideas in a smaller, wearable format.

Guests will be able to examine the rings closely and appreciate the ingenuity, craftsmanship and artistic thinking behind each piece.

Who are the artists presented?

The rings presented bring together an extraordinary group of internationally recognised artists, sculptors, designers and pioneering jewellers.

Kinetic jewellery is represented by Friedrich Becker, known for his precise engineering of moving jewellery, alongside Finnish modernist Elis Kauppi, Danish goldsmith Bent Exner, and Belgian artist Pol Bury, whose fascination with movement extended from sculpture into jewellery.

Experimental rings using plastics and alternative materials include work by German artist Claus Bury, American sculptor Ronald Mallory, Argentinian kinetic artist Gyula Kosice, and Polish sculptor Alina Szapocknikow, whose practice explored innovative synthetic materials.

Sculptural silver rings include pieces by Cuban contemporary artist Kcho, American designer Robert Lee Morris, Italian sculptor Bruno Martinazzi, Brazilian modernist Roberto Burle-Marx, French conceptual artist Bernar Venet, minimalist sculptural jeweller Ute Decker, Surrealist artist Meret Oppenheim, and the legendary American sculptor Alexander Calder, celebrated for his expressive handmade jewellery.

Optical and conceptual rings feature artists such as Swiss jewellery artist Otto Künzli, Dutch conceptual designer Ted Noten, German goldsmith Johanna Dahm, and Austrian artist Norbert Muerlle, whose work explores perception and illusion.

Architectural approaches to jewellery appear in the work of American modernist Betty Cooke, Italian painter Gastone Novelli, Venetian goldsmith Giampaolo Babetto, and British designer Vicky Ambery-Smith, all known for precise structural design.

The selection also includes rings by major figures from the wider art world including Georges Braque, Salvador Dali, Roberto Matta, Jannis Kounellis, Robert Indiana, Marisol, César, Phillip King, and Marc Quinn, whose jewellery reflects the ideas and visual language found in their celebrated artistic practices.

Together these works demonstrate how artists across disciplines have used jewellery as a personal and experimental creative medium.

What will happen during the Show & Tell?

During the evening, Didier and Martine will guide guests through the collection, sharing insights into the artists, the materials used, and the stories behind the rings.

This informal presentation will explore how artists approached jewellery, why they chose particular materials, and how these pieces relate to their wider artistic practice.

Guests will have the rare opportunity to handle some of the rings and examine them closely — something rarely possible with works of this significance. The evening will also allow time for questions, discussion and conversation with others who share an interest in jewellery and art.

Prosecco will be served throughout the event.

Who is this for?

This event is ideal for jewellery designers, makers, collectors, historians, students and anyone interested in jewellery as an art form.

It will appeal to those who want to deepen their understanding of twentieth-century art jewellery and discover how artists from different disciplines have approached jewellery design.

Whether you work within the jewellery field or simply enjoy learning about exceptional objects, this Show & Tell offers a rare opportunity to see and handle remarkable rings while hearing the stories behind them.

What should I bring?

– Glasses (if you need them!) 

– Notebook and pen (to take notes)

How do I get there? 

FORGE 59 Leather Lane, London EC1N 7TJ

See contact page for details on public transport and parking.

How do I book?

To book your place, simply add the number of spaces you'd like and click Add to Cart, then click on the basket icon in the top right corner to proceed to checkout.

Discount codes can be applied at checkout. 

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