Amber Sami: Splendour revived

Mature symbolism and emotional honesty transform Amber Sami’s jewellery collection into an art form.

KARACHI:

Anyone who attended The Resplendent Art exhibition held recently at the Koel Gallery walked out with their perspective changed in one definitive manner: Jewellery does not merely serve to adorn one’s vanity.

Instead, it is an art form.  Or at least, that is what it transforms into when it is molded by Amber Sami’s gifted treatment. The two- day exhibition presented a limited edition of 52 hand-crafted kundan jewellery pieces in silver, employing techniques of polki finishing. In attendance were art lovers and women from all walks of life. The pieces appealed to all generations of women attending, young and old, and the premises were abuzz with murmured consensus of approval.

The pieces in one word are timeless, bringing together old world grandeur and the simplicity of modern day.  A graduate of the Parson’s School of Design in New York, an architect by trade, Sami describes a search for something more personal, a readiness to ‘take on art’. The search led her to create this collection, which she describes as a consequence of the philosophical driving force behind it. “As in literature, what really matters is the intellectual message behind the work. It is a story, not just pieces of jewellery”.

“Art is a journey,” says Sami, who also teaches at leading fine art schools in Pakistan. She began designing jewellery about five years ago, but true to the harsh self-criticism employed by true artists, she says she only began to feel a growth in her work about a year ago. Patrons of art describe the emotional honesty in her work as the most endearing quality about it. Often described as a revivalist, she employs the mature symbolism found in the rich visual design history of the subcontinent throughout her work. Each of the pieces on display told a story, and the historical references on display reflected the artist’s thorough grasp of her subject matter.

A symbol one found constantly worked through her pieces was a hybrid of the jasmine and narcissus flower. The flowers have a history in the art design of the region, from the visual end of the spectrum to the work of poets, and also reflect the artists love for nature.

The pieces are Sami’s own take on kundan, with a resonance of polki. Sami is quick to point out that the polki work is not done due to its value as a status symbol. The fact that she has used it owes to its incredible finish. “It is all about craftsmanship, about respecting the material. To me, silver is as precious as platinum.”

Truly, the pieces are exquisite enough to adorn a bride. Starting from Rs12,000, the pieces are surprisingly affordable. Sami rightly notes that in a city like Karachi, even a collection of steeply priced diamond jewellery would be snapped up immediately. She, however, did not want a crass upscale show. Instead, she wanted to attract clientele with an appreciation for refinement, an objective that she absolutely achieved.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 5^th, 2011.