Michele Oka Doner, a renowned American jewelry artist, invites collectors and enthusiasts to revisit humanity's connection to plants through her latest exhibition of fine art jewelry. Partnering with the London-based Elisabetta Cipriani Gallery, Oka Doner has developed a series of pieces that will be displayed at New York's Salon Art + Design fair from November 7–11.
This new collection pays tribute to what Oka Doner calls the Botanic Age, a period when plants and trees were at the core of human creativity and progress. The exhibit at Salon Art + Design is composed of three parts: Winter Branches, a series of brooches; Talisman, a limited-edition pendant on a handcrafted twining necklace; and Mitosis, a collection of five electroformed silver boxes.
Each piece of jewelry is intended to inspire reflection on humanity's deep ties to nature, prompting the wearer or viewer to recall moments of being at home in the natural world and recognize the vital role of plant life. "The truth is, there is still no life on this planet without plants," says Oka Doner. "We are nature. There is no separation between us and other living things. Our skin is our bark. We inhale breath like the leaves on a tree. We need water to survive. There is a kinship."
Oka Doner addresses the concept of "plant blindness," a term used by artists and academics to describe how industrialization distanced humanity from nature. She envisions her jewelry as a call to action, urging people to embrace their role as stewards of the Earth.
"I began making jewelry for myself using patterns and designs from the natural world when I wanted something for a special occasion. I couldn't find jewelry that connected with me or sparked desire in traditional venues," Oka Doner explains. The Winter Branches brooches, crafted from bronze, 18k white gold, and old-cut diamonds, draw inspiration from specific branches or twigs, with each piece named to reflect its unique personality.
The Talisman necklace evokes ancient traditions of wearing talismans for protection and connection to the Earth, according to the Elisabetta Cipriani Gallery. Oka Doner began making the Winter Branches brooches in 2007, with the original series selling out in a Christie's auction. She has continued to expand the collection as new materials become available.
"Bronze was a familiar and accessible material," she says. "The shapes I imagined were strong, and bronze could easily hold them. From the beginning, these were small sculptures." She added diamonds to the bronze as she envisioned nature's forces interacting with the form—frost or morning dew highlighting the branching shapes.
The gallery's founder, Elisabetta Cipriani, shares Oka Doner's appreciation for nature and understands how to translate these ideas into physical jewelry. "Nomen est omen—naming is the omen. One cannot protect what cannot be seen," Oka Doner remarks.