Sapir Bachar’s love for silver makes for abstract jewellery forms

There is a gloriously natural rhythm to the wearable creations of jewellery designer (opens in new tab)Sapir Bachar. Since establishing her namesake label in 2019, the former textile designer has developed a distinctive set of recurring motifs through abstracting artefacts from different cultures, eras and contexts, and reorganising them into something new. Elegant twists and loops of recycled sterling silver encircle the neck. Also including gold-plated coils and orbs that have been sculpted into earrings and rings, Bachar's creations are contemporary interpretations of her Israeli heritage.

Sapir Bachar: timeless designs for daily wear

‘My visual language developed while growing up in Tel Aviv and travelling through the Israeli landscape,’ recalls Bachar, who previously worked for fashion labels such as Proenza Schouler and Calvin Klein, before setting off on her own. ‘When I moved to NYC and began working for high-end fashion houses, I began melding this Mediterranean upbringing with the modern aesthetic that was present all around me. I also became exposed to the way in which some of the same inspirations were approached in a more modern way. For example, art deco architecture takes notes from ancient Egyptian architecture and its aesthetic.’

She continues, ‘My work is a juxtaposition of everything that inspires me and surrounds me; the desert dunes I grew up admiring, the artists I discovered in NYC, the city life that calls for minimalist interpretations of symbolic inspirations. They all meet each other on my moodboards and new, interesting connections are formed.’

This reverence for the past is echoed in Bachar’s material of choice – recycled sterling silver. ‘I love how durable a material it is. It can be reused over and over, it never really perishes,’ she says. ‘I also love how meaningful it is in almost every ancient civilization – it can be found in archeological digs all over the world and [has continued to endure] until modern midcentury design and through our own time.’

For her spring/summer 2023 collection, Bachar dove into the sexual tension, fantasies, aspirations and desires that result from physical distance – that unknown reality that is suspended between the real and the imagined. ‘Leaving New York and relocating to Tel Aviv urged me to ponder these subjects, about what’s changed in the city and what still remains – in my personal history and in our collective mind,’ she says. The result is an assortment of timeless, unisex designs that convey volume, and a degree of monumentality, while still remaining light and versatile enough for daily wear. 

‘My work has become more abstract, but more wearable at the same time. From collection to collection I notice that both my clients and I prefer pieces that are just a bit more delicate, so they fit everyday wear more easily. The earrings are less weighty, the elements are finer, and the whole direction is a bit more refined,’ she says. ‘I work a lot with rhythm, both as a theme that's visually depicted in my pieces, and in my personal life. Everything is a continuation of something. My next collection is the next chapter of the present one, I look at each collection as a part of a never ending puzzle. I often further develop visual elements I began exploring in the collection before.’

sapirbachar.com (opens in new tab)