ORIOL

Since the mid-19th century, and over the course of five generations, the Oriol family has been dedicated to making jewellery in the city of Barcelona. Ramon Oriol (Barcelona, 1946), the latest jeweller in this family saga, has extended the domain of traditional jewellery towards design, an area he feels more comfortable in. This publication centres on his work, which fuses traditional technique and precious materials with avantgarde proposals that advance unexpected uses for everyday or technological materials like plastics, wire, esparto, wood, common stones or electrical systems, amongst others. While employing definitively craft-based methods, he often produces custom-made pieces for specific clients, always conceiving his work to be worn. His inquisitive personality has led him beyond the strict area of silversmithing as he explores sculpture and the design of objects for daily use, such as ballpoint pens, can openers and even an automobile. For more than 50 years, Ramon Oriol has created a highly personal body of work, which in this volume is appraised for the very first time. The publication features some 250 images and more than 350 preparatory drawings, allowing us to delve more fully into Oriol’s creative processes.